PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24Linked to original sources

Quantitative neuropathology in epilepsy.

Counting of neurons has brought new insight to the mechanism of epilepsy. The reduction in Purkinje cells and neuron loss in hippocampus are related to generalized convulsions in man. Generalized convulsions provoked by electric shock in rats do not result in neuron loss. However, mongolian gerbils from seizure-susceptible strains with "spontaneous" seizures of various types, have a reduced number of H1-neurons and Purkinje cells after only a restricted number of seizures of any type. Loss of neurons is a possible consequence of generalized convulsions. Even "seizure activity", as such, seems to damage nerve cells. The consequence is early effective treatment in such cases where epilepsy is a secondary threat as in febrile convulsions, post-traumatic, post-infectious and post-infarction epilepsy.

Animals↗

[Etiological diagnosis of epilepsy: value of computerized axial tomography (C.A.T.) (author's transl)].

The authors appraise the value of CAT in the study of epilepsy from their personal experience and from the few published works that are available. The CAT confirms and supports a large number of already acquired facts:--the almost complete absence of cerebral lesions in "functional" epilepsies (primary generalized epilepsies and benign childhood epilepsy with rolandic paroxysms);--the large number of abnormalities in the secondary generalized epilepsies (West syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome) where the majority of patients present a bilateral fronto-temporal atrophy;--the high percentage of cerebral lesions in partial epilepsies. In this case, the CAT is especially notable in revealing etiologies in 63 p. 100 of cases. They include: tumors, abcesses, empyemas, angiomas, cerebral infarctions, cerebral atrophies, post-traumatic lesions, etc... From this study, it can be concluded that positive diagnosis of epilepsy is still made on the basis of clinical and electroencephalographic data, with the CAT used to facilitate the etiological diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Surgical options for uncontrolled epilepsy.

Surgical management of refractory epilepsy has undergone many modifications since it was instituted for the treatment of post-traumatic seizures many decades ago. Localization of onset of all seizures to a single resectable area of brain by various noninvasive and invasive recording methods is a complicated and controversial area, but guidelines are available. Success is correlated with accurate location and complete resection of the focus. When this is accomplished, resective surgery for epilepsy can provide cure or over 95 per cent reduction in seizure frequency in 60 to 90 per cent of patients undergoing these procedures. Although most often applied to temporal lobe foci, resections may be done in any cerebral lobe in the dominant or nondominant hemisphere with appropriate modifications of the evaluation and surgical procedure. When patients have unlocalizable or unresectable foci, depending on their exact pattern of seizures, electrical abnormalities, and neurologic status, other procedures may be used for surgical control of seizures. These include hemispherectomy, corpus callosum section, or stereotaxic procedures. The risks of all evaluation and surgical approaches are well balanced by the benefits obtained in a large proportion of patients.

Cerebral Decortication↗

[Neuroradiological findings in epilepsies without consideration of cranial computerized tomography and radioactive brain scanning (author's transl)].

This paper gives a detailed summary of neuroradiological findings (X-rays of the skull, pneumoencephalograms and angiograms) in epilepsies and epileptic seizures, that is based on 902 patients, which have been treated in the Neuro-Psychiatric university hospital of Mainz during 1960 and 1975. First the different pathological findings and their frequency in relation to the single types of epilepsy are described. Then it is tried to draw conclusions from the neuroradiological findings to the etiology of the particular seizure-classes. In further passages important etiologies are chosen and the appearing different seizures with their neuroradiological findings are presented. Epilepsies due to unknown causes, due to brain damage in early childhood, post-traumatically, alcohologenic and caused by brain-tumors are considered. As no similar classification was found in the literature, our data could only be compared with those of different papers, each dealing with some aspects. In the absence of recent publications with statistical data we also had to refer to older papers. Differences between our results and those of the literature are discussed.

Brain↗

Seizure behaviour in a patient with post-traumatic stress disorder following rape. Notes on the aetiology of 'pseudoseizures'.

A patient is described who began to have paroxysmal convulsive behaviour, followed by a post-ictal aggression, which was initially diagnosed and treated as epilepsy. The behaviour began after the patient was raped. She had many of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. It is suggested that the paroxysmal behaviour was an 'acting out' of intrusive and vivid memories of the rape, so called 'flashbacks'. Because the rape had occurred comparatively recently and the events that occurred during the rape were known, it was easy, in this particular patient, to understand the relationship between the previous trauma and the paroxysmal behaviour. The case throws some light on the relationship between similar paroxysmal behaviour in the victims of child sexual abuse and the trauma they had suffered and explains why they behave in the way that they do.

Acting Out↗

Coma and the etiology of violence, Part 1.

Coma and the etiology of violence are explored by the author through a review of the literature. Animal studies, post-traumatic psychic disorder studies, post-traumatic anger and violence studies, tumor and lesion of the limbic system studies, temporal lobe epilepsy studies, and episodic dysfunction syndrome studies, minimal brain studies are reviewed in Part 1 of this article. Part 2, to be published in a later issue of the journal, will conclude the review with clinical surveys on violent individuals and studies on clinical treatment of violence.These studies reveal the etiologic significance of central nervous system dysfunction in the production of violent behavior. Because central nervous system factors are involved in some instances of violent behavior, physicians clearly have a role in the early identification of potentially violent subjects and in the intervention or treatment of individuals who have been violent toward others. Studies have consistently found that lower socioeconomic groups are more predisposed to brain injury from trauma, and several studies have indicated that this is true for segments of the black community. Therefore, investigations in the relationship between central nervous system injury and violence should be a major goal of the black community. Black physicians should assume a lead role in these inquiries and in the prevention and treatment of violence, specifically black-on-black murder.

Adult↗

Coma and the etiology of violence, Part 2.

Coma and the etiology of violence are explored by the author through a review of the literature. Animal studies, post-traumatic psychic disorder studies, post-traumatic anger and violence studies, tumor and lesion of the limbic system studies, temporal lobe epilepsy studies, episodic dyscontrol syndrome studies, and minimal brain dysfunction studies were reviewed in Part 1, which was published in the December 1986 issue of the Journal. Part 2 concludes the review with clinical surveys on violent individuals and studies on clinical treatment of violence.These studies reveal the etiologic significance of central nervous system dysfunction in the production of violent behavior. Because central nervous system factors are involved in some instances of violent behavior, physicians clearly have a role in the early identification of potentially violent subjects and in the intervention or treatment of individuals who have been violent toward others. Studies have consistently found that lower socioeconomic groups are more predisposed to brain injury from trauma, and several studies have indicated that this is true for segments of the black community. Therefore, investigations in the relationship between central nervous system injury and violence should be a major goal of the black community. Black physicians should assume a lead role in these inquiries and in the prevention and treatment of violence, specifically black-on-black number.

Adolescent↗

[Porencephaly. A report of 45 cases].

In 45 cases of porencephaly 35 were male and 10 female. Their age ranged from 80 days to 58 years (mean 14 years). In this series, symptoms were observed 80 days to 22 years before diagnosis. twenty-four cases were premature delivery, difficult labour or birth trauma. 14 cases had a history of head injury. 36 cases had congenital porencephalic cyst and 9 had post-traumatic porencephaly. The main symptoms and signs of porencephaly were dementia, speech defect, intracranial hypertension, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, ataxia or paralysis. etc. It is suggested that CT scan is very useful in the diagnosis of porencephaly, and section of cerebral cortex, opening of cyst, continuous drainage or shunting operation should be done as soon as the diagnosis was made.

Adolescent↗

From the jumping Frenchmen of Maine to post-traumatic stress disorder: the startle response in neuropsychiatry.

The startle response is a universal and phylogenetically ancient reflex. Pathological exaggerations and modifications of startle underlie the symptomatology of a surprisingly diverse range of neuropsychiatric disorders, a fact that seems to have gone largely unappreciated. We review the available literature on the physiology of the normal human startle response and examine the neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by pathological startle. Startle epilepsy and primary hyperekplexia are considered as neurological disorders involving abnormal startle. Patients with hyperstartle and exotic culture-bound syndromes characterized by excessive startle are considered by the authors to represent extreme variants of the normal startle response. Post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol withdrawal states and schizophrenia all have abnormal startle as a clinical feature secondary to increased arousal and presumed disturbance of central neurotransmitter systems. The neurophysiological mechanisms by which abnormalities of the startle response may occur are discussed and a system of classification of neuropsychiatric hyperstartles is suggested.

Humans↗

Diagnosis, management and prognosis of a group of 128 patients with non-epileptic attack disorder. Part II. Previous childhood sexual abuse in the aetiology of these disorders.

In a group of female in-patients clinically diagnosed as having non-epileptic attack disorder there was an increased incidence of a proven previous history of sexual abuse in childhood, when compared with a group of women with epilepsy and a group of women with other psychiatric disorders admitted to the same ward. This was particularly true of women with the 'swoon' and 'abreactive' type of non-epileptic attack disorder (see Part I). The incidence of a history of previous abuse was similar to the two control groups for other types of non-epileptic attack disorder. The swoon was seen as a cut-off phenomenon: the abreactive attack as a kind of acting out the memory of the abuse, part of a post-traumatic stress disorder. Both may respond to counselling for the abuse although it is too early to be certain, and there is a risk of further episodes of the non-epileptic attack disorder during periods of stress. Some patients with epilepsy, however, also had a history of previous sexual abuse: in some the stress of the abuse may have precipitated the epileptic seizures.

Adolescent↗