2017, Number 1
Advances in the management of epilepsy
Shkurovich BP, Collado CMÁ
Full text
Language: Spanish
References: 6
Page: 26-31
PDF size: 439.18 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological conditions, affecting more than 60 million people in the world. It is the third most common neurological condition, after neurodegenerative dementias, cerebral vascular disease and migraine. Prevalence rates in Mexico are similar to those reported in other emerging countries, with a total number of 1.5 to 2 million patients. Epilepsy can affect people of any age and is particular prevalent in the very young or the very old.Epilepsy patients respond to medical treatment in up to 70% of the cases, however the number of drug resistant patients has not significantly changed in the last decades, despite the availability of newer antiepileptic drugs. Surgical management should be considered in these patients, however a careful selection process needs to be followed, including electroencephalogram (EEG) and Video-EEG, structural and functional imaging studies to determine the convergence of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) by different diagnostic techniques. Neuropsychological testing and sometimes Wada testing to lateralize language and memory function are also used.
Mesial temporal sclerosis is the most prevalent etiology in drug resistant epilepsy, and also the most frequent pathology in the temporal lobe, making temporal lobectomy a readily available surgical intervention of such patients, that can dramatically improve seizure control as well as quality of life of epilepsy patients.
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