Epilepsy & Cognition

1. Pro-ictal, rather than pre-ictal, brain state marked by global critical slowing and local gamma power increase

   CONCLUSIONS: Brain dynamics changed on the slow time scale - from the beginning to the end of the multi-day interval - but did not change in the short-term during the pre-ictal interval, thus could reflect pro-ictal changes.

2. Antiseizure medication in patients with meningioma: a retrospective cohort study on the long-term impact on depression, anxiety and neurocognitive functioning

   CONCLUSION: Our findings show no significant association between ASM use and mood and neurocognitive dysfunction in meningioma patients.

3. Treatment-resistant patients with focal epilepsy of unknown cause display reduced neurogranin levels: a preliminary study

   CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that MTLE-HS patients suffer from reduced synaptic protein production rather than increased synaptic breakdown. Reduction of neurogranin is associated with resistance to anti-epileptic treatment implying the role of this protein in the control of seizures. Neurogranin might serve as a biomarker for monitorization of seizure activity in focal epilepsies.

4. CCR2 antagonism identifies blood-borne monocytes as a target for prevention of cognitive deficits after seizures

   Seizure-associated cognitive co-morbidities can substantially reduce the quality of life in people with epilepsy. Neuroinflammation is an invariant feature of all chronic neurologic diseases, including epilepsy, and acute brain insults, including status epilepticus (SE). The generalized seizures of SE trigger a robust inflammatory response involving astrocytosis, erosion of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), activation of brain-resident microglia, and recruitment of blood-borne CCR2+ monocytes into...

5. Medication reference tables for neurologists: A focus on psychotropic medications in epilepsy

   Many psychotropic medications are prescribed to people with epilepsy by neurologists and other non-neurology providers. This article presents summary tables with information on specific psychotropic drug classes (antidepressants, stimulant medications, and antipsychotic medications) including initiation schedules, dosing and indication. Given the overall paucity of epilepsy specific data available, the information is based primarily on regulatory approvals or other general population data, along...