Based on the promising results of randomized controlled trials, deep brain stimulation (DBS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS) are increasingly used in the treatment of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is an indication for either DBS of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) or temporal lobe (TL) RNS, but there are no studies that directly compare seizure benefits and adverse effects associated with these therapies in this patient population.
The aim of this review is to give a practical summary of available neuromodulation techniques to guide selection of modalities, focusing on patient selection for devices, common approaches and techniques for initiation of programming, and outpatient management issues.
Of the existing neurotechnological interventions, vagus nerve stimulation was predicted to have the highest likelihood of adoption; deep brain stimulation had the lowest likelihood of adoption.
While suicide has the potential to broadly impact the entire population, it has a substantially increased prevalence in persons with epilepsy (PWE) despite many of these individuals consistently seeing a health care provider. The goal of this work is to predict the development of suicidal ideation in PWE using machine learning methodology such that providers can be better prepared to address suicidality at visits where it is likely to be prominent.
Ketogenic Diet
Clinical trials on childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet (KD) use a wide range of outcomes, however, patients and decision-makers often do not perceive the outcomes used as the most important. We sought parental opinion on outcomes of importance and compared these to outcomes reported in published research.
Pediatric Epilepsy
Existing data suggest that outcome of epilepsy presenting in the first few years of life carries a worse prognosis than later onset. However, studies are few and methods differ making interpretations of data uncertain. This study analyses outcome at age 7 and potential prognostic factors in a well characterized population-based cohort with epilepsy onset during the first 2 years of life.
Adolescents with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) face many challenges in the school setting. Researchers have identified school stressors as potential predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors for PNES.
See our June Update for information on an upcoming webinar in partnership with PAME, two new members of our Board, new Seizing Life episodes, and more.
Genetics
Featuring the work of former CURE Epilepsy Grantee Dr. Gemma Carvill. Investigators have discovered a new method to determine whether individual genetic variants in the epilepsy-associated gene SZT2 cause a neurodevelopmental disorder, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the journal Brain.
