A double blind study of the influence of dipropylacetate on behaviour.

The influence of dipropylacetate (D.P.A.) on behaviour was studied in 20 patients using a double blind cross over trial. 5 patients were rated as improved on D.P.A., 6 on placebo, 3 as deteriorated on D.P.A., 3 on placebo, 12 as unchanged on D.P.A. and 11 on placebo. This study gives us no reason to believe that D.P.A. exerts a psychotropic action within 3 weeks which is better than a placebo effect.

Results of amygdalotomy and fornicotomy in temporal lobe epilepsy and behaviour disorders.

8 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy underwent amygdalotomy in some cases followed by fornicotomy. There was no definite improvement in seizure frequency. The behaviour improved in 3 cases.

Epilepsy and driving: an international perspective. Joint Commission on Drivers' Licensing of the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy.

Individuals with a history of seizures may be granted driving privileges if the risks of future seizure while driving are relatively low. Different nations have defined these risks in a wide variety of ways. Some countries, e.g., Japan, Greece, Brazil, India, and Russia, preclude driving after a single seizure. Other countries, such as Canada and the United States, allow driving < or = 3 months after certain types of seizures. A Joint Commission of the International Bureau for Epilepsy/International League Against Epilepsy has summarized regulations in several countries. From a consideration of medical literature and existing practices, a series of proposed guidelines for driving and epilepsy is recommended. In general, these guidelines suggest use of a seizure-free interval, generally 1-2 years but less in particular instances, to determine fitness to drive. Required physician reporting is discouraged, but physicians should report patients whom they believe pose a danger to themselves and to public safety. Individualized consideration should be given to special circumstances that may modify a general driving prohibition. Education and information programs are necessary for medical and regulatory authorities to develop a rational approach to driving and epilepsy worldwide.

Phenotypic expression in mucopolysaccharidosis VII.

beta-glucuronidase deficiency is an extremely rare disorder which is known to have a considerable phenotypic variation. A survey of the clinical findings in 19 previously reported patients with mucopolysaccharidosis VII is presented together with the results of clinical and biochemical studies in two further patients. Because a similar clinical picture is present in a heterozygotic sister it is doubted whether all signs and symptoms can be attributed to the beta-glucuronidase deficiency. The probability of a concomitant disorder is discussed. Diagnosis was made both by demonstration of the deficiency in plasma and leucocytes, and by means of hair root analysis. The phenotypic variation and the fact that increased levels of glycosaminoglycans were not found in the urine of the two patients lead to the suggestion that in certain cases a correct diagnosis may be missed if the beta-glucuronidase activity in plasma and leucocytes is not determined and only routine urine investigation is performed as a screening for a mucopolysaccharidosis. Hair root analysis may be a useful method to measure the beta-glucuronidase activity.