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Biomedical subjects

P Giovanardi Rossi

Publications and source records attributed to P Giovanardi Rossi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Epilepsy in adolescents and young adults with autistic disorder.

Since the first description by Kanner (1943) the association between autistic disorder (AD) and epilepsy has been observed in 4-42% of patients. Some authors reported that seizures prevailed in adolescence but a systematic investigation has never been undertaken. We examined retrospectively 60 patients divided into two groups (with and without epilepsy and EEG paroxysmal abnormalities) with AD unrelated to a congenital or acquired encephalopathy (mean age 17 years 2 months). The aim was to investigate epilepsy, EEG paroxysmal abnormalities and possible etiological factors. The prevalence of epilepsy was 38.3%, much higher than that in a normal population of a similar age (6.6 per thousand). The prevalence of EEG paroxysmal abnormalities without epilepsy was 6.7%, higher than that in a population of adolescents and adults with psychiatric pathologies (2. 6%). Seizure onset was after age 12 years in 66.7% of cases. The most common type of epilepsy was partial in 65.2% and four patients (17.4%) had a benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes. At the last observation 44.4% of patients had been seizure-free for 2 years or more. There were no organic factors influencing the development of epilepsy but familial and personal antecedents, mental retardation and CT scan/MRI data may suggest an early brain dysfunction responsible for AD and epilepsy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Complex brain malformation and drug resistant epilepsy.

A 6-year-old girl presented with severe epileptic encephalopathy and delayed psychomotor development. MRI was normal but during the clinical course disclosed a complex brain malformation involving the gray and white matter. Clinical and brain imaging data are discussed in light of relevant reports in the literature.

Brain↗
PubMed1992

Dystonic attacks related to sleep and exercise.

Two unrelated children displayed attacks of paroxysmal jerky 'puppet-like' movements lasting 2-3 min. The attacks were not kinesigenic and occurred during wakefulness precipitated by physical exercise and during NREM sleep, spontaneous or upon arousal and awakenings. Paroxysmal dystonic choreoathetosis was excluded by the absent family history, and paroxysmal kinesigenic dystonia by the absence of triggering effects by sudden movements and efficacy of anticonvulsants. Pattern and duration of involuntary movements were not those typical of nocturnal paroxysmal dystonia. Our cases emphasize that overlap exists among the different clinical categories of paroxysmal dyskinesia.

Arousal↗
PubMed1987

Predictive factors of seizure frequency and duration of antiepileptic treatment in rolandic epilepsy: a retrospective study.

Factors useful to predict seizure frequency and duration of antiepileptic treatment of children with benign partial epilepsy and rolandic spikes were retrospectively evaluated in 72 patients seizure-free for at least 5 years and off antiepileptic drugs for at least 2 years. Three groups were considered: Group I, 11 patients (15%) with a single seizure: Group II, 40 patients (56%) with 2 to 6 seizures; Group III, 21 patients (29%) with over 6 seizures. Significant predictors of rare seizure frequency were: presence of convulsive generalized seizures as the sole ictal manifestation, found in 17 patients of Group II and in one patient of Group III (p less than 0.001), and longer average interval between first and second seizure in Group II than in Group III (7.8 months versus 3.5 months, p less than 0.0001). Although the average duration of the disease was significantly shorter in Group II than in Group III (1.5 years versus 4.5 years, p less than 0.00001), the duration of the antiepileptic treatment was similar in both groups. Of the 8 untreated patients, 5 had a single seizure and one had 2 seizures. Therefore, it is suggested that antiepileptic treatment be delayed without risk until the third seizure occurrence and restricted to patients with no predictor of rare seizure recurrence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Periodic spasms: an unclassified type of epileptic seizure in childhood.

Seven boys aged between 14 months and 13 years with focal or multifocal partial epilepsy had very unusual seizures, characterized by series of periodic bilateral spasms. These consisted of a brief, complex movement of slight to severe intensity, mainly involving the axial muscles, with raising of the shoulders, adversion of the eyes and head, often with rictus-type facial grimaces and occasional stretching of the legs and emission of a guttural sound. The ictal EEG showed a pattern of periodic complexes, characterized by a slow wave with superimposed fast activity. This form of epileptic seizure is resistant to treatment and is found only in patients affected by a brain disease consisting of a fixed or progressive encephalopathy. These observations document the existence of a rare form of seizure or epileptic event, not yet included in the International Classification of epileptic seizures and clinically relevant because of its diagnostic and prognostic implications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The effect of intravenous L-5-HTP in the myoclonic encephalopathy of infants.

A 7 year old girl suffering from myoclonic encephalopathy of infants (MEI) underwent acute treatment by slow intravenous L-5-hydroxytrypthophan (L-5-HTP). The authors found a clear clinical physiological improvement of myoclonic symptoms at rest and during action, but the opsoclonus remained unchanged. The authors suggest that, at least in this case of MEI, the myoclonus was serotonin responsive, as already reported in action or intention and stimulus sensitive myoclonus.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Juvenile myasthenia gravis of possible post-vaccinal inoculation: study of 2 cases].

The AA. describe two cases of serious juvenile myasthenia arisen after jennerian vaccination, antidiphteric and antitetanic vaccination in the first patient and after antitetanic vaccination in the second one. They put forward the hypothesis that in the two patients juvenile serious myasthenia is a complication due to vaccination for the following reasons: 1) the chronological relation between vaccination and the arising of myasthenic sumptomatology is very close; 2) the vaccine produces in the body a reaction of immunity type and myasthenia is nowadays generally considered as an immunity disease. Although the ways in which the vaccine inoculation can give rise to the disease are unknown, it can be supposed that in the occurrence at the same time of a genetic factor or of an susceptible area, the vaccine can act as a factor provoking the immunity answer of myasthenic type.

Child↗