Acta neurologica Belgica最新文献

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the frequency of depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy (PWE) in a tertiary epilepsy center and to analyse possible predictors of depression in several domains, including clinical characteristics of epilepsy and sociodemographic factors.

Methods: PWE patients who visited our epilepsy clinic during the 6th month in 2020 and 2021 were enrolled in our study. To collect the data, structured scales were created for the clinical characteristics of the disease and for the sociodemographic data. All participants completed the Back Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were also conducted to identify the factors associated with depressive symptoms in PWE.

Results: A total of 131 PWE were recruited for this study. It was determined that depressive symptoms were present in 51.1% of PWE. Of these, 49.25% manifested severe depressive symptoms. Approximately 18% of PWE use antidepressant medications, which is significantly less than that of PWE who are currently depressed. Univariate regression analysis revealed that female sex (p = 0.013), severe seizure frequency in the past year (p = 0.001), the use of the antiseizure medication polytherapy (p = 0.018), the presence of side effects of antiseizure medications (p = 0.001), a history of febrile seizures (p = 0.015), focal impaired awareness seizures (p = 0,051), and a combination of focal aware seizures with focal impaired awareness seizures combined with bilateral tonic‒clonic seizures (p = 0,006) may be associated with depressive symptoms in PWE patients. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that side effects of antiseizure medications (OR = 3.01; 95% CI = 1.09-8.32), history of febrile seizures (OR = 3.75; 95% CI = 1.07-13.11), female sex (OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 0.984-4.73), and combination of focal aware seizures to focal impaired awareness seizures to bilateral tonic‒clonic seizures (OR = 7.32; 95% CI = 0.830-64.59) were unique, independent predictors of depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy.

Conclusion: Depressive symptoms in PWE are frequent, severe, undiagnosed, and mostly untreated. The side effects of antiseizure medications, history of febrile seizures, female sex, and combination of focal awareness seizures and focal impaired awareness seizures combined with bilateral tonic‒clonic seizures are unique, independent predictors of depressive symptoms in PWE.

Background: Effective rehabilitation of peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) requires reliable assessment tools. This systematic review aimed to identify and validate instruments used in PFP rehabilitation, categorizing them according to the ICF framework.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science, and Scopus up to April 2024. Observational analytical studies and one non-randomized controlled trial that validated tools for assessing PFP were included.

Results: Thirty-three studies were included, covering twenty different tools. Seventeen tools were related to the "Structure and Function" domain, while three addressed "Activity and Participation." The Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann scales were the most extensively studied. The Sunnybrook scale exhibited excellent intra- and inter-rater reproducibility and internal validity, making it suitable for clinical use. The House-Brackmann scale was user-friendly but had limitations in reproducibility and sensitivity to subtle differences, which newer versions like the FNGS 2.0 aimed to address. The FAME scale showed promise by reducing subjective scoring. Computerized tools, such as eFACE and A-FPG, and instruments for lip asymmetry and ocular involvement demonstrated potential but require further validation. The Facial Disability Index and the FaCE Scale were validated for assessing disability and participation restrictions.

Conclusion: This review identified several validated tools for PFP assessment, with the Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann scales being the most reliable. While emerging tools and computerized programs show promise, they need further validation for routine clinical use. Integrating validated tools into clinical practice is essential for comprehensive assessment and effective rehabilitation of PFP.

Objective: Central nervous system (CNS) complications can be seen in patients with leukemia, depending on the disease itself and the chemotherapeutic agents used. This study focused on CNS complications during treatment in children with acute leukemia in a single pediatric institution.

Methods: CNS complications were evaluated retrospectively in 115 patients with ALL and AML. Patients with CNS leukemia infiltration at the time of diagnosis or during a neurological event, late-onset encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathy, or a previous history of neurological abnormalities were excluded from the study.

Results: A total of 115 children's clinical records with acute leukemia over a four-year period were reviewed. Acute CNS complications developed in 23.1% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and in 13.5% of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. CNS complications developed most frequently during the induction phase of the treatment (66.7%). Seizures were the most common symptom (9 patients, 50%), followed by hemiparesis (4 patients, 22.2%) and headache (4 patients, 22.2%). Six patients (33.3%) had chemotherapy-induced toxic leukoencephalopathy, two (11.1%) had Wernicke's encephalopathy, and one patient (5.6%) each had sinus vein thrombosis, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and CNS infection. Sequelae occurred in three patients (16.7%), and only one patient (5.6%) died due to a CNS complication.

Conclusion: A wide variety of symptoms can be observed in childhood leukemia, depending on the disease itself, the chemotherapeutic agents used and a lot of other conditions such as nutritional problems. Our research shows that several CNS complications might manifest with similar symptoms; differentiated diagnosis between the underlying etiological reasons can be made by neuroimaging.