Super-rapid titration of vagus nerve stimulation in a patient with DEPDC5-related drug-resistant epilepsy.

Pathogenic mutations in DEPDC5 are responsible for a broad range of focal lesional and non-lesional epilepsies. Drug resistance and normal structural neuroimaging findings are common in more than half of patients. Neuromodulation techniques like vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) might be particularly attractive for those patients who are less likely to have a good outcome from surgical resection due to normal neuroimaging or whose epileptogenic zone involves eloquent regions, which if disrupted by resection could leave new deficits.

Expanding the therapeutic role of highly purified cannabidiol in monogenic epilepsies: A multicenter real-world study.

Objective: This real-world, retrospective, multicenter study aims to investigate the effectiveness of highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) in a large cohort of patients with epilepsy of genetic etiology due to an identified monogenic cause. Additionally, we examine the potential relationship between specific genetic subgroups and treatment response.

Methods: This study was conducted across 27 epilepsy centers and included patients with monogenic epileptic disorders (pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants) who were treated with highly purified CBD for at least 3 months.

Second-Line Medications for Women Aged 10 to 50 Years With Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy.

Importance: Women with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) face challenges in treatment due to limited options that are both effective and safe.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of substitution monotherapy vs add-on therapy as second-line options for women who might become pregnant with IGE after failure of first-line antiseizure medications (ASMs) other than valproic acid.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Multicenter retrospective comparative effectiveness cohort study at 18 primary, secondary, and tertiary adult and children epilepsy centers across 4 countries, analyzing data from 1995 to 2023.

The clinical profile of adult-onset idiopathic generalised epilepsy.

Objective: Idiopathic generalised epilepsies (IGE) tend to begin in childhood or adolescence, whereas adult-onset presentations are less frequently observed. In this study, we describe the disease course of a cohort of patients with adult-onset IGE.

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated clinical features, seizure outcomes, and antiseizure medication (ASM) prescribing trends in a cohort of IGE patients with seizure onset aged 18 years or older.

Oligoepilepsy and lifelong seizure susceptibility in epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone: Experience at an adult tertiary center.

Objective: Epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone (GTCA) is the least studied syndrome within the idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) spectrum. We characterize a large cohort of adult patients with GTCA to understand natural history and drug responsiveness.

Methods: In this retrospective single-center study using our epilepsy electronic record, we evaluated clinical characteristics, seizure outcomes, anti-seizure medication (ASM) response including seizure recurrence after ASM withdrawal, and sex differences in a cohort of GTCA patients aged ≥17 years.

Vagus nerve stimulation in refractory idiopathic generalised epilepsy: An Irish retrospective observational study.

Objective: Refractory idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE; also known as genetic generalised epilepsy) is a clinical challenge due to limited available therapeutic options. While vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved as an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant focal epilepsy, there is limited evidence supporting its efficacy for refractory IGE.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre retrospective analysis of adult IGE patients treated with VNS between January 2003 and January 2022.

Adjunctive cenobamate in highly active and ultra-refractory focal epilepsy: A "real-world" retrospective study.

Objective: Recent clinical trials have shown that cenobamate substantially improves seizure control in focal-onset drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). However, little is known about cenobamate's performance in highly active (≥20 seizures/month) and ultra-refractory focal epilepsy (≥6 failed epilepsy treatments, including antiseizure medications [ASMs], epilepsy surgery, and vagus nerve stimulation). Here, we studied cenobamate's efficacy and tolerability in a "real-world" severe DRE cohort.

The emerging role of the advanced practice epilepsy nurse: A comparative study between two countries.

Aims And Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare advanced practice in epilepsy nurses in Spain and United Kingdom, identifying differences in the domains of standard advanced practice.

Background: Europe has recently faced the challenge of providing high-quality care for patients with epilepsy, a disease that generates many health demands. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, advanced practice nursing is well established and could serve as a guide for implantation in countries where it is still in development, as is the case of Spain.

Trait impulsivity in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Objective: Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that can predispose to psychopathology. Meta-analysis demonstrates an association between response impulsivity and Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), a common genetic generalized epilepsy. Here, we test the hypotheses that trait impulsivity is (i) elevated in JME compared to controls; (ii) moderated by specific seizure characteristics; and (iii) associated with psychiatric adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).