Here are some highlights from the latest issue of Epilepsy Currents Vol. 15, no. 3:
• Parsing the Neurological Underpinnings of Emotional AwarenessSocial cognition in patients with unilateral refractory temporal lobe epilepsy depends heavily on intelligence level and is not influenced by the side of brain affected, according to a 2014 study by Amlerova and colleagues in Epilepsy and Behavior. A Commentary by Frank Gilliam, MD, MPH, highlights the key findings of this study – including evidence that temporal lobe surgery may not reduce patients’ ability to recognize facial displays of emotion – and underscores the need to incorporate social cognition tests in routine neuropsychological assessments of persons with epilepsy. Such assessments could guide interventions to enhance the quality of personal relationships and other facets of everyday life, such as job performance.
• A Master Plan for Seizure DynamicsEpileptic seizures are spontaneous and recurrent in nature, making it difficult to develop predictive tools. In a 2014 study in the journal Brain, Viktor K. Jirsa and colleagues unveiled a mathematical model known as Epileptor and used the model to illustrate how seizures unfold in a variety of physiological conditions. A Commentary by Ivan Raikov, PhD, and Ivan Soltesz, PhD, describes Epileptor’s inner workings and explains how the model simulates neuronal interactions before and during seizures to create a predictive theory of seizure dynamics that applies to all types of epilepsy.
• Unexpected Psychosocial Outcomes of Childhood EpilepsiesParents of children with epilepsy often question physicians about the future: Will the seizures respond to medication? Will the epilepsy be outgrown? How will the child fare in terms of learning and development? For at least one group of patients – those with childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, and generalized epilepsy with generalized tonic–clonic seizures – the answers seem relatively straightforward, as these children tend to respond well to medication and exhibit normal intellect. But a Current Review by Katherine Nickels, MD, highlights findings suggesting that children with these epilepsies may not fare as well as previously thought. Patients with childhood absence epilepsy, for example, are significantly more likely than their healthy peers to experience inattentiveness, learning disorders, anxiety, and depression. Nickels reviews the literature surrounding these outcomes, discusses possible causes, and highlights the need to recognize and address these hidden consequences of epilepsy.
Epilepsy Currents is a literature surveillance publication, including brief expert commentary on abstracts in selected basic science and clinical topics selected by the editorial board. The journal is available online to AES members and non-members.
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About EpilepsyThe epilepsies affect 50 million people worldwide, including three million in the United States. The disorder can have a single specific, well‐defined cause, such as a head injury, or manifest as a syndrome with a complex of symptoms. It is the third most common neurological disorder after Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
About the American Epilepsy Society The American Epilepsy Society is a medical and scientific society whose members are professionals from private practice, academia and government engaged in both research and clinical care for people with epilepsy. For more than 75 years, AES has been unlocking the potential of the clinical and research community by creating a dynamic global forum where professionals can share, learn and grow. AES champions the use of sound science and clinical care through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education and by furthering the advancement of the profession. For additional information, visit aesnet.org.
For more information, contact:Natalie Judd, Big Voice Communications, 203-605-9515, [email protected]
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