1/5. Suppression of cortical myoclonus by levetiracetam.A 16-year-old boy suffered severely disabling posthypoxic myoclonus. Neurophysiological investigation showed cortical but not reticular reflex myoclonus. Add-on therapy with levetiracetam significantly improved the patient's clinical condition, suppressed cortical myoclonus-associated spikes, and enabled further neurorehabilitation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spike (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/5. Source analysis of polyspike and wave complexes in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.We applied dipole modeling and brain distributed source analysis to find current sources comprising spikes and slow waves of polyspike and wave complexes (PSWC) in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). The dipoles were localized in frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. The frontal dipoles were clustered in the frontal medial gyrus and fronto-orbital region. A midsagittal frontal current source was observed using brain distributed source analysis in all patients. When the slow wave was analyzed, multiple sources in different cortical regions were detected using dipole modeling and brain distributed analysis. These results show pre-frontal medial current sources corresponding to spikes and many diffuse sources in cortical regions corresponding to wave components of PSWC in patients with JME.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = spike (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/5. Myoclonic seizures as a main manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus infection.A 15-year-old girl with clinical and serologic evidence of active Epstein-Barr virus infection presented with a new onset of myoclonic jerks, confirmed on electroencephalogram (EEG) by generalized polyspike-and-wave epileptiform activity. family history for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy was negative, and brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. The myoclonic jerks resolved spontaneously after 5 days, with gradual normalization of the EEG during the ensuing month and since then no resumption over the last 2 years. Previous reports have already linked Epstein-Barr virus infection to opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome and hypsarrhythmia, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first presentation of epileptic myoclonic jerks associated with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection. We suggest that acute myoclonic seizures with a transiently abnormal EEG and benign course can be associated with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spike (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/5. Effects of zonisamide on the electroencephalogram of a patient with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.Zonisamide, a newer antiepileptic drug (AED) with multiple mechanisms of action, has been increasingly used in patients with generalized epilepsies. This case study focuses on the effects of zonisamide on the EEG of a patient with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The patient had complete resolution of myoclonic jerks and absence and generalized seizures on introduction and titration of therapy with zonisamide; his EEG showed almost complete resolution of generalized spike and wave discharges and electrographic absence seizures. This case report suggests that zonisamide may be effective in the treatment of medication-resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy and that it may lead to a significant improvement of the EEG.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spike (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/5. Overlap cases of eyelid myoclonia with absences and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.Eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA) and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) are two separate epileptic syndromes included in the new classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes by ILAE in 2001. Both are idiopathic generalized epilepsies with their clinical onset in the first two decades. EMA is characterized by eyelid myoclonia associated with absences and photosensitivity. Self-induced seizures are frequently seen in EMA. It can be associated with mildly mental retardation and resistance to treatment. JME includes three types of generalized seizures: typical absences, myoclonic jerks and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The myoclonic jerks occur almost exclusively on awakening, involve preferently the upper extremities, may rarely affect the lower extremities or the entire body. More severe attacks may be accompanied by a fall. The myoclonic jerks occur rarely in EMA. They are usually mild and are freqently restricted to the upper extremities. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures, photosensitivity and generalized polyspike-wave discharges provoked by eye closure are features of both epileptic syndromes. In this study, we describe four female patients with eyelid myoclonia associated with absences, myoclonic jerks causing falling down and rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures. All patients had good school performance and total seizure control under sodium valproate treatment. Their EEGs show generalized polyspike-wave discharges with a frequency of 3.5-6Hz always appearing a few seconds after eye closure and photoparoxysmal response. These patients show the characterictics of both epileptic syndromes. It is clinically important to make a syndromic diagnosis for an optimum advise on treatment, lifestyle restrictions and prognosis. In this study, we have gathered evidence that EMA and JME are dynamic syndromes that tend to evolve into one another.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = spike (Clic here for more details about this article) |