Who Might Be Affected By Seizures
For a long time, researchers believed epileptic seizures occurred only in people who had long been diagnosed with dementia. It was thought they were a reflection of how much the brain had changed and shrunk because of it.
However, more recent research has suggested that seizures can occur early-on in Alzheimers disease. In some people, seizures may happen even before memory problems become apparent.
As part of my research, I recruited people from the local memory clinic here in Exeter. We asked them questions about epilepsy.
Living With Parkinsons Disease
Depending on severity, life can look very different for a person coping with Parkinsons Disease. As a loved one, your top priority will be their comfort, peace of mind and safety. Dr. Shprecher offered some advice, regardless of the diseases progression. Besides movement issues Parkinsons Disease can cause a wide variety of symptoms including drooling, constipation, low blood pressure when standing up, voice problems, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, hallucinations and dementia. Therefore, regular visits with a neurologist experienced with Parkinsons are important to make sure the diagnosis is on target, and the symptoms are monitored and addressed. Because changes in your other medications can affect your Parkinsons symptoms, you should remind each member of your healthcare team to send a copy of your clinic note after every appointment.
Dr. Shprecher also added that maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can help improve quality of life. Physical and speech therapists are welcome additions to any caregiving team.
Examples Of Delusions In Pd
- Jealousy
- Belief: Your partner is being unfaithful.
- Behavior: Paranoia, agitation, suspiciousness, aggression.
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Stage Two: Symptoms Begin Affecting Movement On Both Sides Of Your Body
Once the motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease are affecting both sides of the body, you have progressed to Stage Two. You may begin having trouble walking and maintaining your balance while standing. You may also begin noticing increasing difficulty with performing once-easy physical tasks, such as cleaning, dressing, or bathing. Still, most patients in this stage lead normal lives with little interference from the disease.
During this stage of the disease, you may begin taking medication. The most common first treatment for Parkinsons disease is dopamine agonists. This medication activates dopamine receptors, which make the neurotransmitters move more easily.
Stage Four: Symptoms Are Severe And Disabling And You Often Need Assistance To Walk Stand And Move
Stage Four Parkinsons disease is often called advanced Parkinsons disease. People in this stage experience severe and debilitating symptoms. Motor symptoms, such as rigidity and bradykinesia, are visible and difficult to overcome. Most people in Stage Four arent able to live alone. They need the assistance of a caregiver or home health aide to perform normal tasks.
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The 5 Stages Of Parkinsons Disease
Getting older is underrated by most. Its a joyful experience to sit back, relax and watch the people in your life grow up, have kids of their own and flourish. Age can be a beautiful thing, even as our bodies begin to slow down. We spoke with David Shprecher, DO, movement disorders director at Banner Sun Health Research Institute about a well-known illness which afflicts as many as 2% of people older than 65, Parkinsons Disease.
It Quickly Became Clear That Most People Dont Know That Having Dementia Particularly Alzheimers Disease Can Increase Your Risk Of Seizures
In our group, around 1 in 8 patients with dementia described episodes which we believe could have been epileptic seizures.
We interviewed our participants one year later and found that those who had described having had epileptic seizures previously performed less well on memory tests than those who showed no evidence of epilepsy.
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How Is Myoclonus Diagnosed
Following a review of the persons medical history and physical exam, a physician may order additional tests to confirm the diagnosis of myoclonus:
- Electromyography , which measures electrical activity of muscle, is the commonly used method to diagnose myoclonus as well as nerve and muscle dysfunction
- Electroencephalography uses electrodes attached to the scalp to record the electrical activity of the brain that may trigger the myoclonic jerk
- Evoked potential studies capture the electrical activity in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord evoked by specific stimuli
- Laboratory urine or blood tests for possible causes and to rule out other conditions that may cause symptoms similar to myoclonus
- Magnetic resonance imaging , using computer-generated radio waves and a magnetic field, to produce three-dimensional images of the brain, spinal cord, nerve, and other tissue .
What Are The Important Points Regarding Apomorphine At The End Of Life
Apomorphine is a dopamine agonist, which is given as a subcutaneous infusion either continuously or intermittently and also as single subcutaneous injections. An overview of studies into apomorphine use shows improvement in motor off periods and in dyskinesias.39
Apomorphine has side-effects similar to other dopaminergic medication but also notably nausea and vomiting. Ondansetron is not recommended for nausea in patients using apomorphine due to adverse effects.21
Subcutaneous apomorphine has been used at the end of life in a patient with advanced PD although with the recommendation that this is by a healthcare professional experienced in its use.40
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Tips For Living With Hallucinations
It is important for people with PD to talk about hallucinations with their family and care team, because they are manageable and can be troublesome if not treated. Discuss all possible symptoms with your doctor, no matter how minor, rare or bizarre you may think they are.
- Good lighting and stimulating activities in the evening can help keep hallucinations at bay.
- While a hallucination is occurring, caregivers can help their loved one by reassuring them that they will be safe and validating their partners experience. For example, say, Ill take the cat outside instead of arguing that there is no cat.
Stage Three: Symptoms Are More Pronounced But You Can Still Function Without Assistance
The third stage is considered moderate Parkinsons disease. In this stage, youll experience obvious difficulty with walking, standing, and other physical movements. The symptoms can interfere with daily life. Youre more likely to fall, and your physical movements become much more difficult. However, most patients at this stage are still able to maintain independence and need little outside assistance.
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Symptoms Diagnosis And Treatment
Video-EEG monitoring is the standard diagnostic procedure for PNES. This test can record clinical findings to correlate with the brain’s electrical activity. For proper differentiation, a typical episode should be recorded, verified by the patient or family, and evaluated.
Common features:
- PNES events typically occur when the individual is awake. They often last for longer than epileptic seizures and may end abruptly.
- Certain movements are also more commonly seen in PNES than in epileptic seizures, such as thrashing and pelvic thrusting.
- The absence of motor features and prolonged body limpness are more often seen in cases of PNES than cases of epilepsy.
Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, is regarded as the best approach to treating PNES. Antiepileptic drugs have not found to be effective.
Can Dabs Cause Seizures
Cannabis use is steadily rising in the US, with new varieties of cannabis-related products becoming available on the market. Dabs are cannabis concentrates that have gained notoriety for their high amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol .
Dabs are commonly vaporized and inhaled for their high effect. Many people typically use dabs for recreational purposes, but many clinicians warn of the significant adverse health effects associated with dabs, such as psychosis, cardiotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. Though many users assume that the substance is not addictive, it is very possible to become addicted or dependent on dabs.
Once the brain has adjusted to having THC in the system, it can result in withdrawal symptoms if the person stops marijuana use. So, dabs can ultimately worsen your seizure instead of treating it. Only CBD-rich marijuana products have been approved for seizure treatment. If you have seizures or epilepsy, always consult your physician to recommend the right medical cannabis product for treatment.
Medical cannabis can be used to stop seizures. Click the button below to get your medical marijuana card.
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Parkinsons As A Disease Of Neuronal Connectivity
The clinical manifestations of neurodegenerative disorders have been traditionally described from an impaired neuronal circuitry perspective.14 Technological advancements have led to a surge of studies investigating the impact PD has on neural excitability and connectivity utilizing electroencephalogram , neuromodulation techniques, imaging modalities, and graph-analytical methods. Although the field of PD has been somewhat slower to incorporate these concepts compared to other disease models, clinicians now generally acknowledge the complex, multifaceted nature of the disease and the need to pursue multidimensional approaches to study it.
To further establish the clinical applicability of connectome network dysfunction, studies have demonstrated that circuit-specific modulatory therapies, such as repetitive TMS, can alleviate various symptoms of PD, from memory and motor symptoms to depression in PD.31â34 Although from a therapeutic standpoint, there is much to streamline and corroborate with respect to repetitive TMS paradigms and methodologies, there is no denying the potential to providing individualized circuit-specific modulatory therapies.35
Can A Patients Ability To Make Decisions In The Last Days Of Life Be Impaired And How Is This Managed
In a North American study of 47 carers of idiopathic PD patients in the last months of life most described the goal of care as comfort, and almost half of the patients were described as unable to make any decisions in the last month of life. 10
When presenting, the patient may already be unable to communicate their symptoms and care preferences due to cognitive impairment and confusion. Also, there might be a physical difficulty in communication from severe rigidity. Care should be taken in considering the presence and consequent treatment of an intercurrent illness, and whether dopaminergic medication is exacerbating confusion due to hallucinations and/or psychosis.27
Continued attempts at verbal and non-verbal communication should be made throughout given the often fluctuating symptoms associated with PD and possible improvement in the intercurrent illness. In the absence of a next of kin or other person who is able to inform the clinical team, decisions should be made on a best interest basis as recommended in end of life care guidance.30
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De Novo/early Stage Pd
A preliminary, open-label trial conducted in Japan suggested that a single administration of ZNS was efficacious in improving motor and sleep dysfunction in treatment-naive patients with early stage PD. Moreover, ZNS was recommended as adjunctive therapy in early stage/stable PD according to 2018 guidelines .
Medications Used For Treating Psychosis
Antipsychotic agents are designed to balance abnormal chemical levels in the brain. Up until the 1990s, the use of antipsychotics in PD was controversial because the drugs used until that time work by reducing excess dopamine. This alleviated psychosis but caused dramatic worsening of PD motor symptoms.
Fortunately, medications that are better tolerated by people with PD are now available. Today, there are three antipsychotic medications considered relatively safe for people with PD: quetiapine , clozapine and the newest agent, pimavanserin . They cause limited worsening of PD while treating hallucinations and delusions.
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What Are Movement Disorders
Movement disorders are a group of neurological disorders that cause abnormal movements. These movements may be voluntary or involuntary, and they may faster or slower than typical movements.
Epilepsy is one of the more well-known movement disorders. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures due to abnormal brain activity. Other movement disorders include Tourette syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, restless leg syndrome, and many others.
What Causes Myoclonus
Myoclonus may be caused:
- most commonly by a disturbance of the brain or spinal cord , or
- more rarely by an injury to the peripheral nerves .
Myoclonus can occur by itself or as one of several symptoms associated with a wide variety of nervous system disorders. For example, myoclonic jerks may develop in individuals with multiple sclerosis or epilepsy, and with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease, or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Myoclonus may also be seen in conjunction with infection, head or spinal cord injury, stroke, brain tumors, kidney or liver failure, chemical or drug intoxication, or metabolic disorders. Prolonged oxygen deprivation to the brain, called hypoxia, may lead to post-hypoxic myoclonus.
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Relationship Between Disrupted Neuronal Connectivity And Epileptic Seizures
Epilepsy is considered a disease of network dysfunction.47,48 At a microscopic level, both simple and complex partial seizures involve disruptions in the excitatory interactions between cerebral cortex pyramidal cells.49 From a neurophysiology view, the EEG-graphic representation of an epileptic event is characterized by the paroxysmal onset of hyper-synchronized sharp waves disrupting the neuronal background activity. This activity is often multifocal, reflecting a broader network dysfunction.50,51 Moreover, TMS studies demonstrate similar neurophysiologic features between epilepsy and PD characterized by a state of increased cortical excitability as indicated by reduced intra-cortical inhibition and increased intra-cortical facilitation observed in both patient populations.25,52â55 As mentioned before, in PD, cortical neurons innervating the basal ganglia become hyperexcitable, possibly as a compensatory mechanism following the incremental rise in the output threshold of striatal dopaminergic neurons. As such, it would not be surprising if this putatively maladaptive phenomenon may eventually lead to the generation of epileptiform activity. While epidemiologically, epilepsy-increased comorbidity in patients with PD remains questioned,13,56 our group published the largest case series of patients with PD with concomitant epilepsy57 raising the possibility that epileptic activity in these patients may indeed be under-diagnosed and under-recognized.
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Which Medications Can Make Confusion And Hallucinations Worse
As PD progresses, non-motor symptoms including psychosis and hallucinations become more prominent both for the patient and caregivers.9 Dopaminergic medication can exacerbate these symptoms and this can be reduced through a last in, first out approach. 27,28 Medications that have an anticholinergic effect also may cause or worsen acute confusion and the anticholinergic burden in the patients medication history should be considered.29
Can A Woman With Epilepsy Have A Baby
Yes!
Certainly and definetely!
A woman with Epilepsy can get pregnant. A woman with Epilepsy can have a baby. Many women with epilepsy have babies every year.
So no, neither epilepsy nor epilepsy medications decrease fertility in women drastically!
You need to be well informed about pregnancy in epilepsy. Also, there are some extra things to take care of.
These articles cover almost everything you need to know about pregnancy in Epilepsy.
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Does Epilepsy Affect Sperm Count
Epilepsy may decrease sperm production. But this usually does not affect chances of pregnancy.
Usually, men produce a lot of sperm. Every time a male ejaculates, he releases about 40 million or more sperm!
Epilepsy may produce mild hormonal changes in men, like it does in women. This may reduce sperm production and may cause slightly higher abnormal sperms.
But due to the huge number of sperm produced, the net effect is usually insignificant.
Parkinsons Sleep Problems: Diagnosis And Treatment
Parkinsons disease is chronic and progressive, meaning it tends to get worse over time. However, there are treatment options that can help manage symptoms and allow patients to get more restful sleep.
The simplest way to start sleeping better with Parkinsons disease is by adopting healthy sleep habits. Sleep hygiene tips for Parkinsons disease sufferers include:
- Sticking to regular bedtimes
- Following a consistent bedtime routine with soothing activities such as listening to music or reading a calming book
- Getting regular exercise, preferably early in the day
- Getting adequate exposure to light, whether outdoors or through light therapy
- Avoiding long naps and naps late in the day
- Creating a cool, dark, and comfortable sleeping environment
- Restricting bedtime activities to sex and sleep only
- Turning off screens an hour before bedtime
- Reducing liquid intake before bedtime
- Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco
- Eating a healthy diet and avoiding large meals at night
Light therapy, exercise, and deep brain stimulation have been successfully used to improve overall sleep quality and to treat specific conditions, such as REM sleep behavior disorder, in patients with Parkinsons disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia has proven effective at reducing insomnia in healthy adults, although further research is needed on the effects of CBT in patients with Parkinsons disease.
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Can You Smoke While On Seizure Medication
Studies surrounding CBD treatment for epilepsy have revealed some drug-to-drug interactions. More research is continually being done to examine these interactions, but from studies that have been concluded, people on valproic acid medication had increases in their liver enzymes by up to three times or more than normal when they used anti-seizure medication.
When taken with CBD, the levels of VPA were not increased, meaning that a proportion or byproduct of VPA may negatively interact with CBD once it is broken down. As a result, it may put some people at high risk of liver issues.
Likewise, as clobazam is broken down, a larger component of the drug seems to interact with CBD in certain people. This may often trigger tiredness in some people who use both CBD and Onfi.