Epilepsy News
New epilepsy study findings have been reported by researchers at Ghent University, Department of Neurology
November 10, 2006
Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsEdge Corporation :
2006 NOV 13 - (NewsRx.com) -- Scientists discuss in "Vascular cognitive impairment in patients with late-onset seizures after an ischemic stroke" new findings in epilepsy. "Cognitive impairment and seizures are both common conditions in patients with cerebrovascular disease. The present study investigates whether the occurrence of late-onset seizures, following an ischemic stroke, contributes to vascular cognitive impairment. The mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the median modified Rankin (mR) scores were compared between 125 patients who developed late-onset seizures (66 with a single seizure and 59 with repeated seizures or epilepsy) following an ischemic stroke and 125 patients who did not during, at least, a 2-year follow-up. There were no differences in age, gender, etiology and degree of neurological impairment on admission for their stroke between the groups with and without seizures," scientists writing in the journal Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery report.
"Although the mean MMSE score was similar between both groups the median mR score was significantly higher in the seizure patients. Comparing the patients with a single seizure to the non-seizure ones showed the same results," wrote Reuck J. De and colleagues, Ghent University, Department of Neurology.
The researchers concluded: "On the other hand, comparison of the patients with epilepsy to the non-seizure group revealed, in addition to the higher median mR score, a significantly lower mean MMSE score in the former group. Repeated seizures following an ischemic stroke promote vascular cognitive impairment."
De and colleagues published their study in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery (Vascular cognitive impairment in patients with late-onset seizures after an ischemic stroke. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery, 2006;108(7):632-7).
Additional information can be obtained by contacting J. De Reuck, Ghent University Hospital, Dept. of Neurology, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
The publisher of the journal Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery can be contacted at: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Keywords: Belgium, Ghent, Central Nervous System Disease, Epilepsy, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Seizures.
This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.
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