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Objective: Rare and complex epilepsies encompass a diverse range of disorders characterized by seizures. We aimed to establish a consensus on key issues related to these conditions through collaboration among experienced neurologists, neuropediatricians, and patient advocacy representatives.
Methods: Employing a modified Delphi method, a scientific board comprising 20 physicians and 4 patient advocacy representatives synthesized existing literature with their expertise to formulate statements on contentious topics. A final 32-member expert panel, representing diverse regions of Italy, validated these statements through a two-round voting process, with consensus defined as an average score ≥7.
Results: Sixteen statements reached a consensus, emphasizing the necessity for epidemiological studies to ascertain the true prevalence of rare epilepsies. Etiology emerged as a crucial factor influencing therapeutic strategies and outcome prediction, with particular concern regarding prolonged and tonic-clonic seizures. The importance of early implementation of specific drugs and non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment algorithm for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) was underscored. Multidisciplinary care involving experts with diverse skills was deemed essential, emphasizing non-seizure outcomes in adolescence and adulthood.
Significance: This national consensus underscores the imperative for personalized, comprehensive, and multidisciplinary management of rare epilepsies/DEEs. It advocates for increased research, particularly in epidemiology and therapeutic approaches, to inform clinical decision-making and healthcare policies, ultimately enhancing patients' outcomes.
Plain Language Summary: The modified Delphi method is broadly used to evaluate debated topics. In this work, we sought the consensus on integrated and social care in epilepsy management. Both representatives of high-level epilepsy centers and patients' caregivers were directly involved.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/epi4.13020 | DOI Listing |
Epileptic Disord
September 2025
Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, ASST-Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Protein ufymilation is a post-translational modification implicated in the regulation of several cellular processes. Biallelic variants in UBA5 causing a functional alteration of its protein product have been associated with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy 44 (EIEE44), a rare disease for which 28 patients have been described in the literature at present. We here report on the clinical and detailed EEG phenotype of a novel patient affected by EIEE44.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Case Rep
September 2025
Children's Medical Center, Pediatrics Center of Excellence Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran.
Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (PDE) is a rare, autosomal recessive neurometabolic disorder characterized by intractable seizures responsive to pyridoxine. We present the case of an 11-day-old female neonate with a history of refractory multifocal seizures beginning on day three of life, accompanied by hepatomegaly, metabolic acidosis, elevated serum ammonia and lactate, and abnormal liver function tests. Despite multiple antiepileptic and metabolic treatments, seizures persisted, and the infant developed progressive metabolic disturbances.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurochirurgie
September 2025
Necker Hospital, Departments of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Radiology, Pediatric Neurology and Anesthesiology; Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies CRéER, Member of ERN Epicare; APHP, Paris, France; Université de Paris Cité, Paris, France; Institut Imagine, INSERM U1163, Paris, France; Paris Kids Can
Introduction: Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy under MRI control has emerged as a safe and efficient alternative to microsurgery in epilepsy and neurooncology procedures. Yet it has been used only recently in seldom European centers. Here, we report our 4 years' experience with LITT in children (complications, epileptic and oncologic outcomes).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTalanta
September 2025
IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Full Member of the European Reference Network for Rare and Complex Epilepsies (EpiCARE), Bologna, Italy.
Mol Genet Genomics
September 2025
Human Phenome Institute, MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, Fudan University, 825 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
Accurate variant calling is essential for next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based diagnosis of rare diseases, yet most benchmarking studies have focused on standard cell lines or trio-based samples, with limited relevance to sporadic cases. Here, we systematically compared the performance of DeepVariant and GATK HaplotypeCaller in two Chinese cohorts of patients with sporadic epilepsy (EP) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DeepVariant exhibited higher precision and sensitivity in detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs), while GATK showed a distinct advantage in identifying rare variants, which are often key to understanding the genetic basis of rare diseases.
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