The diagnostic role of short duration outpatient V-EEG monitoring in children.

Video-electroencephalographic monitoring enables correlation between behavioral and EEG data, however, because it requires prolonged hospitalization, it may be stressful and expensive. This study aimed to assess the benefits and limitations of this procedure in children. We analyzed 39 children classified according to clinical complaints: doubts about epilepsy classification in 23 (Group I); differential diagnosis with nonepileptic events in eight (Group II); and differential diagnosis between cognitive decline and subtle seizures in eight (Group III). Clinical episodes were recorded in 37 patients (94.9%). In Group I, seizure type was reclassified in 11 patients and epileptic syndrome in nine. In two patients a previously unnoticed seizure type was recorded. In Group II, four patients presented epileptic seizures. In Group III, nonconvulsive status was detected in five. Video-electroencephalographic monitoring enabled major modification of therapeutic approach in 21 patients and guided new neuroimaging studies in 10 patients. In conclusion, in patients with frequent seizures, short video-electroencephalographic monitoring allows proper classification of epileptic syndromes, and diagnosis of nonepileptic seizures, promoting introduction of appropriate treatment with a relatively low cost.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with focal photoparoxysmal response.

UNLABELLED: Intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) may produce epileptiform discharges and seizures, most of which are generalized. There are several cases of focal seizures of occipital origin induced by IPS and only five reported cases originating from the temporal lobe (TL). We report an unusual case of TL epilepsy, supported by electroclinical and neuroimaging data, with rhythmic focal TL discharges precipitated by photic stimulus. CASE REPORT: A 37 year old male with refractory epilepsy due to a right mesial temporal sclerosis presented a focal right TL photoparoxysmal response during IPS. A routine, interictal SPECT study obtained with injection of HMPAO, carried out during continuous pulses of the photic stimulus at 16 Hz, disclosed hyperperfusion over the right TL. Presurgical ictal studies demonstrated seizures arising from the same region. A temporal lobectomy rendered the patient seizure-free and further EEGs with IPS were normal. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the sixth case in medical literature showing evidence of photosensitivity associated with a TL lesion and it is the first in which photic stimulation induced a focal electrographic response of the involved TL. We hypothesize that in rare cases, photosensitivity may be related to a mesial TL lesion without occipital cortex involvement.

[The diagnostic value of short-term video-EEG monitoring childhood epilepsy]. / O vídeo-EEG dia no diagnóstico de eventos paroxísticos na infância.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of short-term video-EEG monitoring in a pediatric population with distinct clinical complaints in order to verify the benefits and limitations of this procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective protocol, developed in the University of São Paulo, analyzed 38 consecutive patients (age ranging from 4 months to 17 years; mean 6.9 years). All patients were referred in order to establish the diagnosis. The patients were divided in the following groups according to the main clinical complaint: doubts about seizure/syndromic classification (Group I, n = 22); differential diagnosis with non-epileptic events (Group II, n = 8) and differential diagnosis between cognitive decline and status epilepticus (Group III, n = 8). RESULTS: Clinical episodes were observed in 36 patients (94.7%). In group I, seizures were reclassified in 11/22 (50%) patients and confirmed in eight (36.4%). One patient presented a sleep disorder and two did not present clinical events during monitoring. Syndromic classification was modified in nine (40.9%). In group II, four patients (50%) presented epileptic seizures; two had movement disorders and two, non-epileptic events. The cognitive deterioration was correlated with non-convulsive status epilepticus in five children (62.5%) of group III. Alterations of therapeutic and/or diagnostic approaches, as a consequence of monitoring, were performed in 21/38 (55.3%) patients. CONCLUSION: In our series, short-term video-EEG monitoring established a reliable diagnosis in most patients due to correlation between clinical and EEG data. This procedure was well tolerated by children, including infants and those with psychiatric disorders.

Surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy with interictal psychosis: results of six cases.

We describe the postsurgical outcome of six patients with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy and interictal psychosis who underwent temporal lobe resection. All patients were submitted to a comprehensive presurgical investigation, including prolonged video-EEG monitoring. Despite their psychotic disorders, all patients were able to provide informed consent and we were able to complete the investigation of all cases. Surgical complications occurred in two cases. Seizure outcome was Engel class I (free from incapacitating seizures) in all except one patient. There was no worsening of their psychoses. Until now, there has been relative improvement in the mental conditions of five patients. Although psychosis has been considered by some authors as a contraindication to epilepsy surgery, with appropriate psychiatric intervention, patients with refractory epilepsy and chronic interictal psychosis may be submitted to prolonged presurgical investigation and undergo surgery successfully.

Corpus callosum stimulation and stereotactic callosotomy in the management of refractory generalized epilepsy: preliminary communication

A estimulaçäo crônica do corpo caloso, obtida pela implantaçäo de marca-passo e eletrodos implantados, colocados através de craniotomia ou estereotaxicamente, näo controla, em humanos ou em animais experimentais, a epilepsia generalizada refratária. Por outro lado, em pacientes craniotomizados, a retraçäo do lobo frontal ou a realizaçäo de pneumencefalogramas, sem secçäo calosa, resultou em importante melhora do quadro convulsivo, em razäo de efeitos inespecíficos de manipulaçäo do encéfalo. A calosotomia estereotáxica anterior emergiu como conseqüência desses achados neurocirúrgicos funcionais e como procedimento alternativo para prevenir efeitos colaterais indesejáveis, tanto neuropsicológicos como neurológicos, tais como: 'split brain syndrome' e retraçäo cerebral, associados a calosotomia convencional. Dez pacientes com vários tipos de síndromes convulsivas incapacitantes foram submetidos a esta nova intervençäo, que se mostrou menos traumática e melhor tolerada que a calosotomia convencional a céu aberto

O vídeo-EEG dia no diagnóstico de eventos paroxísticos na infância / The diagnostic value of short-term video-EEG monitoring in childhood

Objetivo: este estudo tem como objetivo investigar o valor do vídeo-EEG dia numa população pediátrica, com queixas clínicas diversas, verificando os benefícios e as limitações deste método.Casuística e métodos: um protocolo prospectivo, desenvolvido na Universidade de São Paulo, analisou 38 pacientes consecutivos (quatro meses a 17 anos; média 6,9 anos). Todos os pacientes foramencaminhados para elucidação do seu quadro clínico. Estes foram classificados, segundo sua queixa clínica principal, em: dúvidas sobre a classificação das crisesl síndromes epilépticas em 22 pacientes (grupo I); diagnóstico diferencial entre eventos epilépticos e não epilépticos em 8 (grupo II); e diagnóstico diferencial entre declíniocognitivo e estado de mal epiléptico (EME) não convulsivo em 8 pacientes (grupo III).Resultados: episódios clínicos foram registrados em 36 pacientes (94,7por cnto ). No grupo I, as crises epilépticas foram reclassificadasem 11/22 (50por cento) pacientes e confirmadas em oito (36,4por cento). Deste grupo, um paciente apresentou distúrbio do sono, e dois não apresentaram eventos clínicos durante a monitorização. A classificaçãosindrômica foi modificada em nove pacientes (40,9por cento). No grupo II, quatro pacientes (50por cento) apresentaram eventos epilépticos. A deterioração cognitiva estava associada com EME em cinco crianças (62,5por cento) do grupo III. Mudanças na conduta terapêutica e diagnóstica, como conseqüência da monitorização, ocorreram em 21/38(55,3por cento) pacientes.Conclusão: em nossa série, o vídeo-EEG dia estabeleceu o diagnóstico na maioria dos pacientes, relacionando os dados clínicoscom os eletrencefalográficos. Este procedimento foi bem tolerado pelas crianças, incluindo lactentes e aquelas com doenças psiquiátricas

Complete remission of epileptic psychosis after temporal lobectomy: case report

We report a case of a female patient with refractory complex partial seizures since 15 years of age, recurrent postictal psychotic episodes since 35 which evolved to a chronic refractory interictal psychosis and MRI with right mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). After a comprehensive investigation (video-EEG intensive monitoring, interictal and ictal SPECT, and a neuropsychological evaluation including WADA test) she was submitted to a right temporal lobectomy. Since then, she has been seizure-free with remission of psychosis, although with some persistence of personality traits (hiperreligiosity, viscosity) which had been present before surgery. This case supports the idea that temporal lobectomy can be a safe and effective therapeutic measure for patients with MTS, refractory epilepsy and recurrent postictal epileptic psychosis or interictal epileptic psychosis with postictal exacerbation

Surgical approaches to tumors and epileptogenic zones close to Wernicke's area

A ressecçäo de processos expansivos em áreas relacionadas à fala pode causar morbidade severa de linguagem. A realizaçäo de procedimentos cirúrgicos sob anestesia local e mapeamento intra-operatório das áreas relacionadas à linguagem pode ser empregada para minimizar estes déficits. Seis pacientes com tumores da área de Wernicke foram mapeados (2 astrocitomas de baixo grau, 1 ganglioma, 1 xantoastrocitoma, 1 metástase, 1 glioblastoma). Sua apresentaçäo clínica incluía epilepsia (n=4) e disfasia de compressäo (n=2). Após infiltraçäo dos planos superficiais com anestésico local e craniotomia, procedia-se à estimulaçäo com eletrodo unipolar do córtex temporal amplamente exposto, com testagem simultânea de linguagem, principalmente compreensäo e fala sequencial. Após o mapeamento, elegia-se a melhor via de acesso de modo a evitar a área mapeada. Em 5 casos a ressecçäo foi completa e em 1 parcial (glioblastoma). Em 1 caso houve piora transitória (10 dias) de déficit pré-existente de compreensäo e expressäo (glioblastoma). Em 3 casos as áreas da fala haviam sido deslocadas: posteriormente (n=2) ou em direçäo suprasilviana (n=1). Procedimentos cirúrgicos com anestesia local säo seguros e podem evitar distúrbios pós-operatórios de linguagem em pacientes com tumores próximos à área de Wernicke

50 anos de ECT: do choque a seco aotratamento otimizado

Os autores fazem uma revisao da introducao e uso da ETC na psiquiatria, suas indicacoes, contra-indicacoes, efeitos indesejaveis, tecnicas utilizadas e monitorizacao. Concluem alertando para a defesagem a forma como ela tem sido como ela tem sido utilizada em nosso meio e nos paises desenvolvidos.

Results from the intracarotid amytal procedure in patients with uni or bitemporal lobe epilepsy and mesial sclerosis

Este estudo discute os resultados obtidos no teste de amital sódico (TAS) intracarotídeo e seu valor prognóstico e de lateralizaçäo em pacientes com epilepsia do lobo temporal (ELT) e esclerose mesial temporal (EMT). Dezoito pacientes foram submetidos ao TAS. Quinze possuíam epilepsias bitemporais e 3 unilaterais. Todos os pacientes possuíam EMT na RMN e em 1 existia uma calcificaçäo hipocampal contralateral. Nove pacientes bitemporais passaram a injeçäo ipsilateral à EMT e 4 falharam bilateralmente. Um paciente bitemporal passou bilateralmente. Sete pacientes bitemporais passaram a injeçäo ipsilateral à EMT e falharam do outro lado. Dois pacientes unitemporais tiveram este mesmo comportamento. Um paciente unitemporal falhou bilateralmente no TAS. Globalmente, 56 por cento dos pacientes apresentaram o padräo passa ipsi-/falha contralateral no TAS. Oito pacientes foram operados, estäo sem crises e näo tiveram déficits adicinonais de memória. Muitos pacientes com ELT possuem o padräo passa ipsi-/falha contralateral no TAS. Isto deve representar fator de lateralizaçäo e prognóstico relevante

Surgical treatment of refractory epilepsy associated with space occupying lesions: experience and review

Surgery for space occupying lesions of the brain associated with intractable epilepsy represents a special problem because relief of the epilepsy is as much an operative goal as excision of the space occupying lesion itself. This study concerns 32 patients with space occupying lesions and intractable epilepsy who underwent excision of the lesion with acute intraoperative electrocorticography guided resection of the epileptogenic focus. Of the 32 patients, 16 formed a subgroup of gangliogliomas alone. The remaining were mixed lesions, predominantly benign. The duration of seizures in these patients ranged from 2 to 30 years, and the seizure frequency varied from 1 to 300 convulsions per month. The operative procedures included temporal corticectomy, amygdalo-hippocampectomy, and extratemporal corticectomies. Twenty nine patients were in Engel class I postoperatively, and three patients were in Engel class II. The findings with gangliogliomas are also considered in a separate group. This study strongly suggests that the operative procedure under electrocorticography guidance improves seizure outcome in space occuping lesions related intractable epilepsy.