1.Prognosis and its influencing factors of patients with seizure recurrence after anti-epileptic drug withdrawal
Shoucheng XU ; Xue LIANG ; Caiting GAN ; Li GU ; Qing DI
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2021;54(3):211-218
Objective:To explore the seizure recurrence and prognosis of epilepsy in relapse after anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) withdrawal, and the influencing factors for these conditions.Methods:From December 2009 to August 2018, patients from the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University who relapsed after AEDs withdrawal were collected and followed up for at least 18 months. The seizure recurrence and prognosis of these patients were prospectively observed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. The associated risk factors of the second relapse in the enrolled patients were analyzed by multivariate Cox analysis. The included patients were divided into good prognosis group and poor prognosis group according to whether they had achieved seizure freedom for at least one year after the first relapse. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting their prognosis.Results:A total of 56 patients with epilepsy in relapse after AEDS withdrawal were collected. The average follow-up period was 46.23 months (18-120 months) from the initial time of seizure recurrence, and 21 patients (37.5%) had the second seizure recurrence. The relapsing risk in patients who continued to be observed without adding AEDs was higher than those who were treated immediately with drugs [9/16 vs 30.0% (12/40)], but without statistically significant difference (χ2=2.220, P=0.071). The results of univariate analysis showed that focal seizures, seizure frequency more than once per month before remission and poly-drug therapy before AEDs withdrawal were associated with high risk of the second relapse. Poly-drug therapy was an independent risk factor for the second relapse by multivariate Cox analysis ( HR=3.383, 95% CI 1.257-9.105). Of the 56 patients with epilepsy in relapse after AEDs withdrawal, 47 patients (83.9%) had a good prognosis without seizure for at least one year, and of 33 patients who were followed up for three years or more, 26 (78.8%) had no seizure for at least two years. Between the group retreated immediately after the first recurrence and the group without immediate treatment [87.5% (35/40) vs 12/16],there were no statistically significant differences on the proportions of good prognosis (χ2=2.333, P=0.258). Univariate analysis showed that the course of epilepsy>6 months before initial treatment, the frequency of seizures>1/month before remission, symptomatic epilepsy and poly-drug therapy were associated with the poor prognosis. However, none of independent risk factors was found for the poor prognosis through the multivariate analysis. Conclusions:The prognosis of patients with epilepsy in relapse after AEDs withdrawal is well, and about 2/3 patients with epilepsy in relapse after AEDs withdrawal have no more seizure recurrences. The poly-drug therapy before AEDs withdrawal may be an independent risk factor for the second seizure relapse.
2.Resting-state fMRI study of Parkinson disease patients with peak-dose dyskinesia: an ALFF analysis
Xingyue CAO ; Heng ZHANG ; Yongsheng YUAN ; Huimin SUN ; Min JI ; Lina WANG ; Caiting GAN ; Kezhong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2022;31(4):314-319
Objective:To observe the characteristics of resting-state brain activity in Parkinson disease (PD) patients with peak-dose dyskinesia, and to explore its pathogenesis.Methods:From March 2017 to November 2019, totally 27 PD patients with peak-dose dyskinesia (dyskinetic group), and 29 PD patients without dyskinesia (non-dyskinetic group) treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and 27 healthy controls from the community were recruited.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical scale data were collected.SPSS 26.0 software and REST software were used for data analysis.The whole brain amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values were compared among the three groups.Correlation analysis was performed between ALFF values of the significant brain regions and the scale scores.Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of ALFF values of significant brain regions in identifying three groups of subjects.Results:The peak-dose dyskinetic group showed decreased ALFF in right inferior frontal gyrus(MNI: x=36, y=21, z=30; x=36, y=18, z=30)and increased ALFF in right supplementary motor area (MNI: x=9, y=0, z=69; x=6, y=-3, z=72)(all P<0.05, Alphasim correction) compared with non-dyskinetic group and healthy controls.ALFF value in right inferior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with unified dyskinesia rating scale (UDysRS) scores ( r=-0.47, P=0.018). The ALFF value of the right inferior frontal gyrus was more effective in identifying peak-dose dyskinetic patients from non-dyskinetic patients and healthy controls, and the area under the curve of right inferior frontal gyrus were 0.881 and 0.787 (both P<0.01), respectively. Conclusion:Abnormal spontaneous brain activity in right inferior frontal gyrus and right supplementary motor area can be the neurobiological basis of peak-dose dyskinesia in PD patients.The severity of peak-dose dyskinesia is associated with abnormal brain activity of right inferior frontal gyrus.The ALFF value of right inferior frontal gyrus is a potential imaging marker for identifying peak-dose dyskinetic patient.
3.A resting-state MRI-based study on the characteristics of degree centrality of local brain function in patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesias
Heng ZHANG ; Xingyue CAO ; Yongsheng YUAN ; Min JI ; Huimin SUN ; Lina WANG ; Caiting GAN ; Kezhong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2023;42(9):1035-1040
Objective:To investigate the characteristics of regional brain functional centrality(DC)in patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia(LID)and to explore the pathogenesis of LID.Methods:A total of 33 PD patients with LID(PD-LID), 41 PD patients without LID(PD-nLID)and 37 healthy controls from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled in this study.Differences in DC among the three groups were compared and the correlation between Z-DC values of the brain regions with differences and the scores of the involuntary movement scale(items 1-7)was analyzed.Results:Compared with Controls, PD-LID patients showed increased DC in the right amygdala(extending to the right globus pallidus)(MNI: x=30, y=-3, z=-18, t=4.00, P<0.05 after AlphaSim correction)and in the right postcentral gyrus(MNI: x=57, y=-9, z=39, t=-3.59; MNI: x=42, y=-33, z=57, t=-4.23, P<0.05 after AlphaSim correction)and reduced DC in the right superior parietal lobule(MNI: x=24, y=-51, z=72, t=-3.95, P<0.05 after AlphaSim correction).Compared with the PD-nLID group, the PD-LID group showed increased DC in the right globus pallidus(MNI: x=30, y=-12, z=-3, t=3.09, P<0.05 after AlphaSim correction).DC changes in the right globus pallidus were positively correlated with AIMS score( r=0.482, P=0.004). Conclusions:The enhancement of DC function in the right globus pallidus may be closely related to the onset and severity of LID.