Epilepsy and psychosis de Toffol, B.
Revue neurologique,
April 2024, 2024-Apr, 2024-04-00, 20240401, Letnik:
180, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Psychotic disorders are eight times more frequent in epilepsy than in the general population. The various clinical syndromes are classified according to their chronology of onset in relation to ...epileptic seizures: ictal psychoses (during epileptic discharge), post-ictal psychoses (PIP, after a seizure), interictal psychoses (IIP, with no chronological link) and those related to complete seizure control. Antiepileptic drugs can cause psychotic disorders in all these situations. Post-ictal psychoses (PIP) are affective psychoses that occur after a lucid interval lasting 12 to 120hours following a cluster of seizures. They last an average of 10days, with an abrupt beginning and end. PIP are directly linked to epileptic seizures, and disappear when the epilepsy is controlled. Interictal psychoses are schizophrenias. The management of psychotic disorders in epilepsy is neuropsychiatric, and requires close collaboration between epileptologists and psychiatrists. Antipsychotics can be prescribed in persons with epilepsy. Even today, psychotic disorders in epilepsy are poorly understood, under-diagnosed and under-treated.
Psychosis in epilepsy can be categorized in relation to seizures in two main categories: interictal psychosis and postictal psychosis. Postictal psychosis (PIP) is a specific syndrome in relation to ...seizure activity: a clear temporal relation exists between the psychotic state of sudden onset and a precipitating bout of complex partial or generalized seizures. However, this very specific syndrome is not included as such within the DSM-5, and PIP belongs to the category "Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition". Diagnostic criteria are: (1) episode of psychosis within 1 week after a seizure(s); (2) psychosis lasts more than 15hours and less than 2 months; (3) delusions, hallucinations in clear consciousness, bizarre, or disorganized behavior, formal thought disorder, or affective changes; and (4) no evidence AED toxicity, non-convulsive status epilepticus, recent head trauma, alcohol, or drug intoxication or withdrawal, prior chronic psychotic disorder. The presence of a lucid interval between the last seizure and start of changes rules out a simple postictal delirium. The outcome is characterized by a remission of the psychotic symptoms over several days (mean: 1 week), with or without any treatment. Prepsychotic EEG abnormalities persist during the psychosis. Risk factors for PIP include: long standing localization-related epilepsy, extratemporal onset, bilateral epileptiform activity, secondary generalization, slowing of the EEG background activity and personal or family history of psychiatric disorders. Brain MRI frequently shows structural abnormalities. Several functional neuroimaging studies have shown hyperperfusion in various cerebral regions during PIP, suggesting an excessive activation of particular structures of the brain rather than a postictal depression of cerebral activity. Implanted electrode studies have shown that the EEG correlate of psychotic symptoms differs from the ictal EEG correlate of epileptic seizures. The value of antipsychotic treatment in PIP requires further studies. Despite their role in symptomatic relief, there is no clear effect of neuroleptics on duration or prognosis of PIP. Different combinations of pharmaceutical interventions can be tried on a case by case basis: (1) oral administration of benzodiazepine; (2) combined oral administration of benzodiazepine and atypical neuroleptics; (3) intramuscular administration of dopamine-blockers for rapid tranquilization of violent or agitated patients. The notion that neuroleptic drugs lower the seizure threshold has no clinical significance: there is no evidence that antipsychotic drugs increase seizure frequency in epileptic patients treated with antiepileptic drugs.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are defined as change in behavior or consciousness resembling epileptic seizures but which have a psychological origin. PNES are categorized as a ...manifestation of dissociative or somatoform (conversion) disorders. Video-EEG recording of an event is the gold standard for diagnosis. PNES represent a symptom, not the underlying disease and the mechanism of dissociation is pivotal in the pathophysiology. Predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors should be carefully assessed on a case-by-case basis. The process of communicating the diagnosis using a multidisciplinary approach is an important and effective therapeutic step.
Stroke is a major public health issue. Its epidemiology is still poorly known in French Guiana.
We conducted a prospective observational study including 100 consecutive patients hospitalized for ...stroke in Cayenne (in French Guiana), and Tours and Besançon (in metropolitan France). We compared their age, medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, pre-admission Rankin score, Glasgow and NIHSS scores, usual treatments, acute phase management, type of stroke, duration of hospitalization, mechanism of stroke according to TOAST classification, NIHSS and Rankin scores at discharge, discharge treatments, and mode of discharge.
In French Guiana, the average age of patients was 7years lower (62 y), patients were more frequently affected by hypertension (75%) and diabetes (31%). Lacunar strokes were overrepresented (16.1%), and infarctions of cardioembolic origin were underrepresented (12%). NIHSS entry and Glasgow scores were similar between French Guiana and mainland France. Acute management was different: thrombolysis rate (9.3%) was 3 to 4 times lower, thrombectomy was not available. Fewer patients were transferred to rehabilitation centers and more patients were transferred to home hospitalization.
In Tours and Besançon, patients eligible for thrombectomy were overrepresented. This bias explains the overrepresentation of more severe infarctions and probably the overrepresentation of strokes of cardioembolic origin. Infarctions of undetermined origin were more numerous in French Guiana because patients were often discharged from hospital with an incomplete cardiological workup.
Despite some caveats, the profile of patients admitted for stroke in French Guiana is different from mainland France. The establishment of a stroke unit and an information campaign on the symptoms of stroke would allow better management.
Epilepsy and dementia in the elderly Hommet, C; Mondon, K; Camus, V ...
Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders,
04/2008, Letnik:
25, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Epilepsy is a frequent condition in the elderly; however, it remains a relatively understudied condition in older adults with dementia. The diagnosis of a seizure is particularly difficult and is ...most often based on questions to the caregiver. Epilepsy in dementia has significant consequences on the prognosis of the underlying dementia: it can result in a worsening of cognitive performance, particularly in language, as well as a reduction in autonomy, a greater risk of injury and a higher mortality rate. In this review, management strategies are recommended for the clinician. The presence of pre-existing Alzheimer's disease does not exempt the clinician from ruling out other symptomatic causes of seizures. Anti-epileptic drugs (AED) should be started only after the diagnosis has been clearly established, when the risk of recurrence is high, and with monotherapy whenever possible. Although few data are available, the more recent AED offer significant advantages over the older medications in this context.
Abstract Purpose To estimate the direct costs associated with the current management of focal epilepsy in adults treated with a combination of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in France and the ...supplementary costs of drug resistant epilepsy as defined by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in 2009. Methods ESPERA was a multicentre, observational, cross-sectional study conducted in France in 2010. A random sample of neurologists, including specialists in epilepsy, prospectively enrolled adults with focal epilepsy treated with a combination of AEDs. Investigators classified their patients according to the 2009 ILAE criteria for drug resistance and this classification was then reviewed by two experts. All items of healthcare resource use associated with epilepsy over the previous year were documented retrospectively and valued from a societal perspective. Results Seventy-one neurologists enrolled 405 patients. After experts’ review, 70.6% of patients were classified with drug-resistant epilepsy, 22.4% with drug-responsive epilepsy and 7% with undefined epilepsy. The mean annual epilepsy-related direct costs per patient were €4485 ± €4313 in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy compared to €1926 ± €1795 in patients with drug-responsive epilepsy. In these two groups, costs of AEDs were estimated at €2603 and €1544, respectively. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy were more often hospitalised (mean annual cost: €1270 vs. €97) and underwent more additional tests (mean annual cost: €194 vs. €53). Conclusion The direct cost of focal epilepsy in adults on AED combinations was estimated at €3850/patient/year. Drug resistance, as defined by the 2009 ILAE criteria, resulted in significant extra costs which varied with seizure frequency.