Forensic Psychiatry

These results highlight the importance of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism in infantile spasms and provide evidence for new-targeted therapies such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 inhibition or microbiota manipulation to promote kynurenic acid production as a strategy to reduce spasms in infantile spasms.

Article abstract The authors studied seizure activity with optical intrinsic signal (OIS) imaging in a rat seizure model. OIS, which measures vascular and metabolic effects associated with neuronal activity, showed significant cortical reflectance changes from penicillin-induced seizures, and correlated well with EEG epileptiform discharges. Furthermore, OIS changes often preceded initial EEG spikes. These observations suggest that OIS is well coupled with seizure activity, and may provide sensitive cues for seizure detection.

Background A responsive electrical stimulation pattern based on our recently developed novel seizure prediction method was designed to suppress the penicillin-induced epileptic seizures. Methodology Seizures were induced by Penicillin injection at rat cortex. A responsive electrical stimulation system was triggered prior to seizures predicted with phase synchronisation. Rats with induced seizures were stimulated by the electrical pulses at a responsive or 1 Hz periodic pattern of an open system. The effectiveness of stimulation on seizures suppression was assessed by measuring the average number and duration of seizures per hour. Results The prediction algorithm reliably identified seizures in real time and triggered the responsive stimulation. This type of electrical stimulation dramatically suppressed seizure activity and the performance was better than the open stimulation system with fewer and shorter seizures. Conclusions A responsive electrical stimulation system triggered by the phase synchronisation prediction is able to significantly suppress seizures. Significance Responsive electrical stimulation could achieve superior treatment performance and reduce power consumption and side effects.

Nature Communications - Spreading depression is a prolonged depolarization in the CNS associated with several neurological diseases. Here the authors demonstrate a reciprocal relationship between...

Probiotic supplementation may have anti-seizure effect by reducing proinflammatory cytokine and nitric oxide levels in epileptic rat brain.

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects more than 50 million people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent seizures resulting from excessive excitation or inadequate inhibition of neurons Previous studies demonstrated that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) could suppress the number of epileptic signal bursts observed in electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings in rodents. However, whether ultrasound can inhibit epileptiform discharges in nonhuman primates is unclear.

IntroductionEpileptogenesis is understood as the plastic process that produces a persistent reorganization of the brain’s neural network after a precipitating injury (recurrent neonatal seizures, for instance) with a latent period, finally leading to neuronal hyperexcitability. Plasticity-related genes (PRGs), also known as lipid phosphate phosphatase-related proteins (PLPPRs), are regulators of mitochondrial membrane integrity and energy metabolism. This study was undertaken to determine whether PRG5 gene knockout contributes to the delayed hypersensitivity induced by developmental seizures and the aberrant sprouting of hippocampal mossy fibers, and to determine whether it is achieved through the mitochondrial pathway. Here, we developed a “twist” seizure model by coupling pilocarpine-induced juvenile seizures with later exposure to penicillin to test the long-term effects of PRG5 knockout on seizure latency through comparison with wild-type (WT) mice. Hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) was detected by Timm staining. In order to clarify the mechanism of the adverse reactions triggered by PRG5 knockout, hippocampal HT22 neuronal cultures were exposed to glutamate, with or without PRG5 interference. Mitochondrial function, oxidative stress indicators and zinc ion content were detected.ResultsPRG5 gene knockout significantly reduced the seizure latency, and aggravated the lowered seizure threshold induced by developmental seizures. Besides, knockout of the PRG5 gene red...

in epilepsy is unknown. Methods Astrocytes function in epilepsy, penicillin-induced astrocytes can be used as a model for seizures in vitro. Currently, the expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MAPK6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined by western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analyses (RT-qPCR). The expression level of miR-128-3p was evaluated by RT-qPCR. TargetScan 7.1 and dual luciferase reporter assay were used for prediction and verification of interaction between miR-128-3p and MAPK6 3′ untranslated region (UTR). Cell viability was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results We found that penicillin-induced decrease in cell viability, and increase of TNF-α/IL-1β in primary astrocytes. There were lower miR-128-3p and higher MAPK6 in penicillin-treated primary astrocytes. miR-128-3p overexpression rescued penicillin-induced reduction of cell viability, and upregulation of TNF-α/IL-1β, which was partially abolished by MAPK6 overexpression. Conclusion Altogether, miR-128-3p attenuates penicillin-induced cell injury and inflammation in astrocytes by targeting MAPK6, thus providing a protective role in epilepsy....

Absence seizures are brief seizures characterized by a behavioral arrest that correlates with generalized 3-Hertz spike-and-wave discharges on electroencephalogram (EEG.)[1] Absence seizures occur in multiple genetic generalized epilepsies, including childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME.)[2] Atypical absence seizures have been reported in up to 60% of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

A hospital-based pregnancy registry can establish the fetal risk of major malformations for a commonly used drug. Prenatal exposure to phenobarbital is associated with a significantly increased risk of fetal abnormalities.

First-trimester in utero exposure to methylphenidate does not appear to be associated with a substantially (ie, more than 2-fold) increased overall risk of major congenital malformations.