Objective To study the efficacy and safety of flunarizine (FNR) used as an open add on therapy with increasing dosage for treatment of intractable partial seizures (IPS) Methods Fourty three patients with IPS received FNR add on therapy more than 6 months in addition to the medication of existing antiepileptic drug The administration of FNR in increasing dosage was executed as follows: for children aged 8 12 years,the initial dosage was 5 mg/d in the first week,then with a subsquent increase of 5 mg/d every week; for adult,10 mg/d for the first week,and then increased 10 mg/d each week And at the fourth week,the dosage of FNR for children was added up to 20 mg/d,and for the adult, 40 mg/d served as a maintenance dosage continuously for 6 months Results Two patients dropped out for personal reasons Three cases discontinued FNR add on therapy because of untolerable adverse effects of increasing dosage Thiry eight patients accomplished the whole course of 6 month treatment Total effective rate was 63%,in which there was 75% for simple partial seizures (SPS), 62% for complex partial seizures(CPS) and 56% for the secondary general seizures(SGS) There was a seizure reduction of 69% as compared with pre FNR treatment period ( P

Objective To explore the correlation between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cerebral vasospasm (CVS) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and hyponatremia. Methods Plasma BNP levels and serum natrium were assessed at 4 different time periods (1 to 3 days, 4 to 6 days, 7 to 9 days, and 10 to 12 days after SAH) in 30 patients with SAH. Correlation analysis was carried out between plasma BNP and blood sodium level. Plasma BNP levels were compared according to patients with or without CVS, and with or without symptom. The plasma BNP levels of 18 healthy controls were measured meanwhile.Results Plasma BNP levels in SAH patients were significantly elevated compared with control subjects ( P