PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Canger

Publications and source records attributed to R Canger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy of Janz: clinical observations in 60 patients.

We studied 60 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). There was a high positive family history for epilepsy (33.3%). Age at onset of epilepsy ranged from 4 to 18 years with an average of 13.9 years. 88.3% of patients were seizure-free. The most effective drug was valproate. In eight patients drug withdrawal was attempted but all patients relapsed during a follow-up period of 1 year. Video-EEG studies were performed in eight newly diagnosed patients; myoclonic jerks were recorded in five patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Malformations in offspring of 305 epileptic women: a prospective study.

This paper deals with malformations detected in 26 of 315 newborns of 305 epileptic mothers followed prospectively. In 3 more cases, malformations were detected in utero and therapeutic abortion was performed. Two hundred and seven women were on monotherapy, 102 on polytherapy and 9 were not treated. In total, malformations overall incidence was 9.1%. Minor anomalies were detected in 42 newborns (13.3%). A higher rate of malformations and minor anomalies was found among offspring of mothers treated with valproic acid (VPA). In the VPA group, mothers of malformed babies had higher plasma levels in the first trimester than mothers of babies without malformations. The need for accurate prenatal diagnostic studies in pregnant women with epilepsy is stressed.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1992

Intrauterine growth in the offspring of epileptic mothers.

The present paper concerns the fetal growth of 315 newborns of epileptic mothers prospectively followed from the beginning of pregnancy. In comparison with Italian standards, neonatal weight, length and head circumference at birth were below the 10th percentile in respectively 15.7%, 1.1% and 19.2% of the newborns. Weight at birth was above the 90th percentile in 8 cases. Observed frequencies were significantly higher than expected frequencies for both weight and head circumference. The percentage of newborns with a small head circumference increased significantly according to the number of drugs taken by the mother during the first three months of pregnancy: 7.1% with no drug, 16.8% with one drug, 23.6% with two drugs and 50% with three drugs. A statistically significant correlation was found between gestational age-adjusted head circumference and drug-level scores during the first trimester. Head circumferences below the 10th percentile were fewer among newborns treated with CBZ than among newborns treated with either PB or VPA.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1991

A statistical approach to computerized EEG: preliminary data on control subjects and epileptic patients.

Factor Analysis represents an important method of extracting salient features from EEG data condensing functional as well as spatial informations in a few factors and so reducing redundancy of multi-channels computerized EEG data. A 16-channel computerized frequency analysis of background brain electrical activity during 3 functional conditions (eyes closed, eyes open and hyperventilation) were performed in 2 groups, 50 healthy subjects and 14 epileptic patients with generalized seizures. The differences in each frequency band between the 2 groups have been assessed by means of factor scores. Factor scores differences between control and epileptic patients have been found in theta and alpha frequency bands. These interictal EEG abnormalities were more evident in epileptic patients. This preliminary study shows the confirmatory capability of Factor Analysis and its usefulness in managing and comparing computerized EEG data.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Twin vessels in familial retinal cavernous hemangioma.

We investigated the presence of twin vessels in two patients and in four of their relatives at risk from one family with autosomal-dominant hereditary cavernous hemangioma of the retina associated with central nervous system involvement. Twin vessels were detected in four of the six patients examined. The proband had bilateral retinal vascular hamartomas with central nervous system involvement but no twin vessels. The proband's mother had vascular hamartomas of the retina and brain with twin vessels. In the other three family members, twin vessels were associated either with retinal cavernous hemangiomas (one patient) or with normal fundi (two patients). Because twin vessels may be an ocular manifestation of von Hippel-Lindau disease, their presence in one of our two patients and in the otherwise healthy three family members suggests that twin vessels may be associated with different retinal vascular hamartomas, including capillary and cavernous hemangiomas.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Conventional vs controlled-release carbamazepine: a multicentre, double-blind, cross-over study.

The tolerability and pharmacokinetics of a new controlled-release (CR) formulation of carbamazepine (CBZ), were assessed in a multicentre, double-blind, cross-over trial, carried out in 48 epileptic patients (21 men, 27 women; mean age 34.2 years) on conventional CBZ monotherapy, but without complete seizure control (n = 22) or with intermittent side effects (n = 4), or with both (n = 22). Eligible patients were randomized to conventional CBZ or CR CBZ, each given in sequence at individualized daily doses, subdivided into the lowest number of administrations. Each period of the cross-over consisted of a first phase of optimal dose finding (lasting up to two months) and a second one of maintenance (lasting one month) used for evaluation. At the end of each period, a 10-h plasma CBZ and CBZ-epoxide concentration profile, as well as the tolerability and the efficacy of the drugs, were evaluated. The mean CBZ daily dose increased by 16% during the administration of the CR formulation. Fluctuations of total CBZ and 10, 11-epoxide plasma level daily profiles at steady-state were significantly (p less than 0.001) lower during CR CBZ treatment, leading to a significant (p less than 0.001) decrease in intermittent side effects (6 patients on CR CBZ vs 26 on conventional CBZ). Finally, 38 patients on CR CBZ (vs 15 patients on conventional CBZ) were treated with a b.i.d. regimen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

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↗
PubMed1985

Monotherapy and polytherapy for intractable epilepsies.

A retrospective survey on 66 adults with epilepsy who received multiple drug therapy after the failure of single drugs showed: a reduction of seizure frequency of 75% or more in 16.5%, no change in 67% and an increase in seizure frequency of 100% or more in 16.5%. Multiple drug therapy is of limited value in severe epilepsies.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1985

Quality extinction test and lateralized EEG focality: preliminary observations in a group of epileptic patients.

73 primary epileptic patients, grouped according to their clinical picture and EEG focality, were evaluated by means of a test of tactile extinction (Quality Extinction Test) in order to assess the usefulness of this test in detecting lateralized cerebral malfunctioning in neurological functional diseases. The data indicate an increase of tactile extinction in epileptic patients and a good relationship between side of focality and side of extinction.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Change of seizure frequency in pregnant epileptic women.

The effect of pregnancy on seizure frequency was monitored prospectively in 136 pregnancies of 122 epileptic women. Pregnancy did not influence the seizure frequency in 68 pregnancies (50%). In 50 pregnancies (37%) the number of seizures increased during pregnancy or puerperium. The seizure frequency decreased in 18 pregnancies (13%). In 34 out of 50 pregnancies (68%) the increase was associated with non-compliance with the drug regimen or sleep deprivation. In seven out of 18 pregnancies (39%) improvement was related to correction of non-compliance or sleep deprivation during the pregestational nine months. Insufficiently low plasma concentrations of antiepileptic drugs were found in 47% of the women with uncontrolled epilepsy during pregnancy. The course of epilepsy during pregnancy is primarily influenced by non-compliance, sleep deprivation during pregnancy, and inadequate therapy before and during pregnancy. With good medical attention pregnancy itself seems to have only a minimal influence on the course of epilepsy.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

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↗
PubMed1981

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↗
PubMed1978

Immunogenetics of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: search for LD determinants as genetic markers of the syndrome.

In a previous work we demonstrated a strong association between HLA-B7 and the susceptibility to the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In this work we report some preliminary results obtained performing one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures in vitro between 15 unrelated children showing the typical EEG and clinical patterns of the syndrome. The same children were also tested against unrelated control cells from healthy donors. The low stimulation displayed by Lennox-Gastaut patients between them as compared with the higher stimulation found in patients/controls and controls/controls comparisons suggests the existence of an LD allele which may be associated with the disease.

Alleles↗