Interictal and periictal headache in patients with epilepsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Interictal headache (IIH), and in particular migraine, is considered a relevant co-morbidity in epilepsy; however, available data are ambiguous. Periictal headache (PIH) displays a frequent ancillary burden to seizures, but identification of unequivocal predictors is still elusive. METHODS: All patients (≥ 18 years) with epilepsy or unprovoked seizures seen in a tertiary epilepsy outpatient clinic underwent a semi-structured interview regarding occurrence and characteristics of IIH and PIH. Clinical variables in patients with and without IIH and PIH and seizure types with and without PIH were compared. RESULTS: Out of 201 patients, 56.2% reported headache, IIH occurred in 34.3% and 10.9% suffered from migraine. PIH was reported by 35.3%, occurring preictally in 16 and postictally in 61 cases. PIH character was migrainous in 26.8% and tension-type headache-like in 62%, mean severity was 6.1 ±â€…2.2 cm. PIH was treated analgetically by less than 40% of patients, only 11% sought specific medical advice. Predictors were low age at epilepsy onset (OR 0.963, 95% CI 0.945-0.981, P < 0.0001), antiepileptic drug (AED) polytherapy (OR 1.943, 95% CI 1.046-3.612, P = 0.036) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with epilepsy, IIH, and particularly migraine, is less common than expected, challenging the widely held concept of co-morbidity of the two conditions. PIH is frequent, severe and undertreated. Predictors include low age at epilepsy onset, AED polytherapy and tonic-clonic generalized seizures. Physicians should ask for PIH and offer specific analgesic treatment. To confirm these findings, future studies with a prospective approach implementing a headache and seizure diary should be performed.

Status epilepticus induces increasing neuronal excitability and hypersynchrony as revealed by optical imaging.

In the wake of acquired brain insults such as status epilepticus (SE), time-dependent neuronal network alterations may occur resulting in cortical hyperexcitability and enhanced synchrony merging into chronic epilepsy. To better understand the underlying processes, we performed electrophysiological and optical imaging studies on combined hippocampal-entorhinal cortex slices. These were prepared from rats 1, 4 and 8 weeks after electrically-induced SE. Non-invasive imaging using intrinsic optical signal changes allowed detailed analysis of onset and spread patterns of seizure-like events (SLE) since coverage of the entire preparation is possible. The latency to occurrence of first SLEs after omission of Mg(2+) from the artificial cerebrospinal fluid was significantly reduced at 4 and 8 weeks after SE compared with all other groups indicating increased brain excitability. Optical imaging displayed multiregional onset and discontiguous propagation of SLEs 8 weeks after SE. Such patterns indicate neuronal hypersynchrony and are not encountered in naïve rodents in which SLEs commonly begin in the entorhinal cortex and display contiguous spread to invade adjacent regions. The electrophysiological and optical findings of the current study indicate evolving fundamental brain plasticity changes after the detrimental event predisposing to chronic epilepsy. The current results should be incorporated in any strategies aiming at prevention of chronic epilepsy.

Transient loss of inhibition precedes spontaneous seizures after experimental status epilepticus.

The pathophysiological mechanisms that cause spontaneous seizures following status epilepticus are largely unknown. Erosion of inhibition is regarded as an important pathophysiological hallmark of ongoing status epilepticus. Therefore, we investigated if loss of inhibitory functions also plays an important role in the development of spontaneous seizures after status epilepticus. Furthermore, we analyzed possible changes in excitation that might contribute to epileptogenesis. Finally, neuronal cell loss in the dentate gyrus granule cell layer was analyzed. In rats, inhibition and excitation in the dentate gyrus were monitored 1, 4, and 8 weeks after electrically induced self-sustaining status epilepticus (SSSE). Control animals had electrodes implanted either without subsequent stimulation or with stimulation but under barbiturate anesthesia, neither of which resulted in subsequent spontaneous seizures or impairment of inhibition. Following SSSE 80% of animals developed seizures after 8 weeks. A pronounced impairment of inhibition 1 week after SSSE was followed by gradual recovery over 8 weeks. In the dentate gyrus, cell damage was highly variable most likely explaining the heterogeneity of changes in excitatory parameters. Loss of GABAergic inhibition in the dentate gyrus may facilitate initiation of epileptogenesis but impaired inhibition is not required for the process of epileptogenesis to be maintained.

Assessment of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome audiovisual materials designed for grades 7 through 12.

Nurses are often involved in formulating and implementing HIV/AIDS education programs in the public schools. A tool was developed to assess the inclusion of components that deal with factual information, social implications of HIV/AIDS, abstinence, condom usage, and attitudes in audiovisual materials. This information, in checklist format, can assist nurses in evaluating audiovisual materials and in selecting the most appropriate materials dealing with HIV/AIDS for groups of adolescents. Twenty-four audiovisual materials from a rural education agency were evaluated using this checklist; the tool provided a method to analyze and convey information regarding the components of the HIV/AIDS audiovisual materials, which can assist nurses in choosing or recommending educational resources appropriate in programs for teaching adolescents about sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention.