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Biomedical subjects

E Somerville

Publications and source records attributed to E Somerville.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

AUStralian study of titration to effect profile of safety (AUS-STEPS): high-dose gabapentin (neurontin) in partial seizures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, efficacy, and impact on quality of life of gabapentin (Neurontin; GBP) as adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory partial seizures. METHODS: AUS-STEPS was an open-label, multicenter, prospective study in patients experiencing partial seizures who were inadequately controlled with one to three concurrent antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). GBP treatment was titrated to a maximum of 4,800 mg/day, over a treatment period of 24 weeks, to achieve an efficacious and tolerable dosage. Efficacy was assessed by seizure-frequency data. Quality of life was evaluated by using the QOLIE-10 questionnaire, and safety was assessed by adverse-event reports and clinical laboratory findings. RESULTS: A total of 176 patients received treatment with GBP, with 174 evaluable for intention-to-treat (ITT) efficacy analysis. A reduction of >50% in overall seizure frequency was observed in 93 patients (53%). There was a small (4.6%) overall improvement in QOLIE-10 score. The most frequent adverse events were dizziness (31%), fatigue (29%), somnolence (27%), headache (21%), and ataxia (20%), with no major increase seen in adverse events necessitating discontinuation as the dose of GBP was titrated upward. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that patients with partial epilepsy may be effectively treated with GBP at dosages of < or =4,800 mg/day, without altering the safety profile of the drug.

Acetates↗
PubMed1998

X-linked Dystonia-Deafness syndrome.

We report a family with early-onset deafness and progressive dystonia exclusively involving males over two successive generations. There is also evidence of cognitive impairment and corticospinal tract involvement. The pedigree suggests an X-linked inheritance. A similar family was originally described by Scribanu and Kennedy. Tranebjaerg et al. have recently reported two other families with linkage to Xq22 and also proposed a novel X-linked candidate gene. These findings support the existence of a distinct neurodegenerative syndrome principally characterized by early-onset deafness and progressive dystonia. Neuropathology of one case showed a mosaic pattern of neuronal loss and gliosis in the caudate and putamen suggesting that this pattern is not restricted to XDP or Lubag.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Hypnotic induction of an epileptic seizure: a brief communication.

This case study investigated the utility of hypnosis to precipitate a seizure in a patient with refractory epilepsy. The patient was twice administered a hypnotic induction and a suggestion to age regress to a day when he was distressed and suffered repeated seizures. The patient did not respond to the first hypnotic suggestion; however, an epileptic seizure was observed in the second hypnotic session. Videorecording and subdural electroencephalograph recording confirmed that he suffered an epileptic seizure. Postexperimental inquiry revealed that the patient used deliberate cognitive strategies to avoid seizure onset in the first session but adopted a more constructive cognitive style in the second session. Findings are discussed in terms of emotions, hypnosis, and cognitive style as mediating factors in the experimental precipitation of epileptic seizures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Corpus callosotomy for intractable epilepsy: seizure outcome and prognostic factors.

We reviewed the outcome of corpus callosal section in 64 adult and pediatric patients to identify factors associated with a good outcome: 48% of patients had a favorable outcome for overall seizure frequency. Improvement was noted in several seizure types and was most likely for drop attacks, particularly in the setting of a unilateral focal cerebral lesion or a true generalized epilepsy of Lennox-Gastaut type. Poor outcomes for drop attacks were more likely if there was associated severe intellectual handicap or bilateral independent spikes on interictal EEG. Complex partial seizures (CPS), most commonly of frontal lobe origin, also responded favorably. The complications of callosal section were usually mild and transient. New focal seizures occurred in only 2 patients and were not as frequent or disabling as preoperative seizures types. A worthwhile improvement in seizure outcome was achieved by completion of the callosotomy in 6 of 10 patients with unsatisfactory results from anterior callosotomy.

Adolescent↗