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Biomedical subjects

C M Cornaggia

Publications and source records attributed to C M Cornaggia.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Intractable epilepsies. An open trial with Clobazam.

Clobazam was used as an added treatment in 28 patients with intractable epilepsies: 26 subjects had associated handicaps. A good response was observed during the first two-three months of Clobazam treatment: the reduction in seizure frequency of 73% for partial seizures and 62% for GTCs. A tolerance to Clobazam treatment was observed after the third month of treatment: at the end of the sixth month, the seizure frequency was reduced to 36% for partial seizures and 39% for GTCs. Out of 28 patients 4 were seizure free at the end of the sixth month; we have not found any specific characteristic in these patients. The AA. suggest the possibility of an intermittent use of Clobazam for this type of patients.

Adolescent↗

Carbamazepine, phenytoin and phenobarbital in drug-resistant partial epilepsies.

96 monotherapies with carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone were assessed in 42 patients with partial epilepsy. Those whose seizure frequency was reduced by 75% or more were considered to have improved. In 54 comparisons of monotherapies significant improvement in seizure frequency was achieved in only 16.7% of cases. Nonresponding patients showed practically no change across all comparisons according to the Fischer test.

Adolescent↗

PB:PRM ratio in patients with epilepsy treated with primidone.

Phenobarbitone (PB) and primidone (PRM) plasma concentrations were measured in 88 patients of both sexes with different types of epilepsy and treated with PRM, alone or in association with carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), ethosuximide (ESM) or valproic acid (VPA). A correlation was observed between the dose and the levels of both PRM and PB. Plasma PB:PRM ratio was high variable, especially interindividually. These changes seemed to be linked to age and particularly to pharmacological associations. In fact, PB:PRM ratio was increased with CBZ, ESM, VPA and PHT respectively. Moreover, a correlation was observed between the PB:PRM ratio and PHT plasma levels. The possibility of monitoring PB and PRM plasma levels during long-term treatment with PRM is discussed.

Adolescent↗

Therapeutic plasma levels of some anticonvulsants in focal epilepsy in relation to computerized axial tomography.

The authors investigated 37 patients with established focal epilepsy in terms of the antiepileptic drug (AED) blood levels needed to achieve control or significant abatement of seizures; then they examined the patients by computerized axial tomography (CAT) and grouped them according as they did or did not show evidence of an organic food lesion of the brain. Statistical elaboration of the data revealed that CAT-positive patients required significantly higher mean AED blood levels for clinical effectiveness than did CAT-negative patients; also, single drugs failed to produce control at any plasma level, necessitating recourse to multidrug regimes, significantly more often in the CAT-positive than in the CAT-negative patient group. In the discussion the authors examine the possible reasons for the observed difference of therapeutic responses.

Adolescent↗

Epidemiologic survey of epilepsy among Army draftees in Lombardy, Italy.

We conducted an epidemiological survey of epilepsy among males born in 1967 who were called for selection for military service from the Lombardy region in northern Italy. Of 54,520 subjects, 258 had active epilepsy (prevalence, 0.47%). Idiopathic partial epilepsy was most common (29.1%), and generalized idiopathic and/or symptomatic epilepsy was least common (3.8%). In the year preceding the interview, 66.9% of the subjects had been free of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 57.6% had been free of minor seizures, and 36.9% were seizure-free. Case histories revealed a background of febrile convulsions in 18.9% of subjects, status epilepticus in 11.3%, and a family history of epilepsy in 18.9%. Physical and mental development was normal in 75.5% of the subjects. Education level of subjects was lower than a control group, and the unemployment rate was the same as the local rate.

Adult↗