Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Brain Injury".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2024 | Viewed by 2210

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Interests: epilepsy; antiseizure medication; SUDEP; epilepsy in pregnancy; clinical trials; epilepsy and gender; transitin in epilepsy

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Guest Editor
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
Interests: epilepsy; status epilepticus; antiseizure medications; cerebrovascular diseases; stroke; clinical trials; systematic re-view; meta-analyses; network meta-analyses

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases and it can lead to serious consequences in the lives of affected people, accounting for a significant proportion of disability-adjusted life years.

Starting from these considerations, the diagnosis of epilepsy becomes a delicate and complex process, which should be performed in a timely manner to guarantee the best model of care. Misdiagnosing epilepsy could lead to a treatment gap with devastating repercussions on the independence, mental health, emotional flexibility, and quality of life of both people with epilepsy and their families and caregivers. Specific childhood epilepsy syndromes could benefit from innovative therapies with the potential to favorably impact the disease progression, underlining the importance of a timely and proper diagnosis. Receiving a correct diagnosis of epilepsy as soon as possible, however, remains an unmet need in many cases.

About 70% of people with epilepsy achieve seizure control with pharmacological anti-seizure treatment. Nowadays, the broad spectrum of anti-seizure medications allows a more “personalized” treatment approach with the aim of identifying the most efficacious and best-tolerated drug in any individual case. In patients with focal epileptogenic zones located outside eloquent cortical areas of the brain and people with selected developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, epilepsy surgery and precision medicine represent the treatments of choice.

To overcome the existing gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, it is of paramount importance to increase the general knowledge and understanding of epilepsy throughout education programs and awareness campaigns. Empowering the utilization of easily available instrumental tools and identifying red flags of specific aetiologies are some of the main goals to pursue. The enforcement of molecular diagnostics may further guarantee a tailored treatment in selected patients with a precision medicine approach.

The present Special Issue aims to collect experimental findings, innovative single reports and case series, clinical studies, critical reviews, and outside-the-box viewpoints that focus on the diagnosis, management, treatment and prognosis of epilepsy.

Dr. Angela La Neve
Prof. Dr. Simona Lattanzi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • epilepsy
  • misdiagnosis in epilepsy
  • awareness in epilepsy
  • treatment in epilepsy
  • unmet needs in epilepsy
  • antiseizure medications
  • epilepsy surgery
  • neurostimulation

Published Papers (2 papers)

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17 pages, 601 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Cognitive and Behavioural Effects of Perampanel in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review
by Giovanna Scorrano, Simona Lattanzi, Vincenzo Salpietro, Cosimo Giannini, Francesco Chiarelli and Sara Matricardi
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(2), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13020372 - 10 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 752
Abstract
In children and adolescents with epilepsy, neurodevelopmental comorbidities can impair the quality of life more than seizures. The aim of this review was to evaluate the cognitive and behavioural effects of perampanel (PER) in the paediatric population. We performed a systematic search of [...] Read more.
In children and adolescents with epilepsy, neurodevelopmental comorbidities can impair the quality of life more than seizures. The aim of this review was to evaluate the cognitive and behavioural effects of perampanel (PER) in the paediatric population. We performed a systematic search of the literature, selecting studies published in English including children and adolescents with epilepsy treated with PER. Cognitive and behavioural outcomes were assessed through validated neuropsychological standardised scales. Eighteen studies involving 3563 paediatric patients were included. Perampanel did not impair general cognitive functions and visuospatial skills, whereas a slight improvement in verbal memory and a decline in attentional power were detected. In adolescents with refractory epilepsies, high doses and/or rapid titration of PER and an underlying psychiatric disorder were risk factors for developing or worsening psychiatric outcomes such as anger, aggressiveness, and irritability. Data on children and adolescents treated with new antiseizure medications are scant, and neuropsychiatric effects are tricky to be detected during developmental age. According to the currently available evidence, PER showed an overall favourable risk–benefit profile. Pharmacodynamics, co-administration of other antiseizure medications, and family and personal history of neuropsychiatric disorders should be considered before PER treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy)
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9 pages, 1168 KiB  
Brief Report
Individualized Prediction of Drug Resistance in People with Post-Stroke Epilepsy: A Retrospective Study
by Simona Lattanzi, Stefano Meletti, Eugen Trinka, Francesco Brigo, Gianni Turcato, Claudia Rinaldi, Claudia Cagnetti, Nicoletta Foschi, Serena Broggi, Davide Norata and Mauro Silvestrini
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(11), 3610; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12113610 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Background: The study aimed to develop a model and build a nomogram to predict the probability of drug resistance in people with post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). Methods: Subjects with epilepsy secondary to ischemic stroke or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were included. The study outcome was [...] Read more.
Background: The study aimed to develop a model and build a nomogram to predict the probability of drug resistance in people with post-stroke epilepsy (PSE). Methods: Subjects with epilepsy secondary to ischemic stroke or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were included. The study outcome was the occurrence of drug-resistant epilepsy defined according to International League Against Epilepsy criteria. Results: One hundred and sixty-four subjects with PSE were included and 32 (19.5%) were found to be drug-resistant. Five variables were identified as independent predictors of drug resistance and were included in the nomogram: age at stroke onset (odds ratio (OR): 0.941, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.907–0.977), intracerebral hemorrhage (OR: 6.292, 95% CI 1.957–20.233), severe stroke (OR: 4.727, 95% CI 1.573–14.203), latency of PSE (>12 months, reference; 7–12 months, OR: 4.509, 95% CI 1.335–15.228; 0–6 months, OR: 99.099, 95% CI 14.873–660.272), and status epilepticus at epilepsy onset (OR: 14.127, 95% CI 2.540–78.564). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.893 (95% CI: 0.832–0.956). Conclusions: Great variability exists in the risk of drug resistance in people with PSE. A nomogram based on a set of readily available clinical variables may represent a practical tool for an individualized prediction of drug-resistant PSE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy)
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