Objective To investigate the features of epileptic seizures and eletroencepalogram (EEG)in patients of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Methods Fifty-five patients with MELAS were selected. EEG and head MRI was performed on all patients.The types of epileptic seizure and EEG changes were compared between patients in and outside stroke-like episodes. Results Epileptic seizures occurred in 49 of 55 patients (89.1%) with MELAS, while multitype epileptic seizures were presented in 33 cases(67.3%). The frequency of partial seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, status epilepticus was 47.3%(26/55), 69.1%(38/55), 38.2%(21/55) in stroke-like episodes and12.7%(7/55), 27.3%(15/55), 5.5%(3/55) in nonstroke-like episodes, which had statistical significance (χ2 = 8.023, 10.647, 11.002; P=0.022, 0.016, 0.005, respectively). Abnormal EEGs appeared in all patients.The rates of slow alpha frequency, diffuseδorθwave, epileptic discharges were 7.3%(4/55), 43.6%(24/55) and 25.5%(14/55) in stroke-like episodes and 30.9%(17/55), 58.2%(32/55) and 23.6%(13/55) in nonstroke-like episodes, respectively.Slow alpha frequency was significantly different between patients in and outside stroke-like episodes (χ2=8.933, P=0.019). Conclusions Epileptic seizures with different types are more common during stroke-like episodes in patients with MELAS.While the rates of epileptic discharges are also common outside the stroke-like episodes.

Objective To investigate the usage of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs),epileptic seizures,pregnancy outcomes and infant feeding practices among pregnant women with epilepsy,and provide scientific evidence for eugenics.Methods The clinical characteristics of 350 pregnant women with epilepsy from Shaanxi Provincial Epilepsy & Pregnancy Register from October 2012 to July 2016 were analyzed retrospectively.Results A total of 350 patients with 376 pregnancies were included in the final analysis.Among 376 pregnancies,272 pregnancies (72.3％) were under the treatment of AEDs.Of them,246 pregnancies (90.4％) were on monotherapy,26 (9.6％) on polytherapy.Only patients during 179 pregnancies (47.6％) took folic acid in the first trimester.Seizure frequency increased in patients during 123 pregnancies (32.7％),of whom patients during 43 pregnancies (35.0％) did not use AEDs.Although other patients during 80 pregnancies (65.0％) took AEDs,regular pharmacokinetic monitoring was absent.A total of 170 pregnancies (45.2％) attained seizure-free.Seizure frequency decreased in 42 pregnancies (11.2％) and remained unchanged in 24 pregnancies (6.4％).The rates of cesarean section and natural delivery were 43.8％ (158/361) and 56.2％ (203/361),respectively.Totally 4.5％ (17/376) pregnancies had adverse pregnancy outcome,and 1.9％ (7/376) had fetal malformations.The most common congenital malformation was heart malformation,which was observed in two offspring.One offspring developed dysostosis,one developed chromosome abnormality,and another developed cerebellum deformity.In addition,one twin developed conjoined deformities.Breastfeeding rate was 52.6％ (190/361).Conclusions In Shaanxi province,AEDs compliance,pharmacokinetic monitoring and usage rate of folic acid still need to be improved in pregnant women with epilepsy.Clinical trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry,ChiCTR-OOC-16009277

Objective To examine the prognostic value of flow diversion (FD) presented on transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) in patients with large hemispheric infarction (LHI) caused by the unilateral middle cerebral artery (MAC) occlusion.Methods Seventy-three consecutive LHI patients who had occlusion in M1 segment of MAC and were admitted to neurological intensive care unit at Xijing Hospital from January 2012 to June 2016 were reviewed.All the participants had TCD examination after admission,and were grouped according to the presence or absence of FD into FD+ and FD-.Three-month,six-month,and twelve-month functional outcomes of all the participants were collected and analyzed.Long-term survival rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to examine the predictive power of FD in patients with LHI.Results Among 73 LHI patients,28 (38.36％) patients were presented with FD.The incidence rates of cerebral herniation,usage of mechanical ventilation,mortality during hospitalization and incidence rates of three-month,six-month and twelve-month poor outcomes were much higher in patients without FD than those with FD.Multivariate analyses demonstrated that FD was independently associated with cerebral herniation (OR=28.943,95％CI 1.922-435.918,P=0.015),usage of mechanical ventilation (OR=11.151,95％CI 1.614-77.018,P=0.014),three-month (OR=20.163,95％CI 3.048-133.362,P=0.002),six-month (OR=3.525,95％CI 1.153-10.773,P=0.027),and twelve-month (OR=4.400,95％CI 1.387-13.960,P=0.012) poor outcomes.FD yielded an area under the ROC of 0.756,allowing for prediction of three-month outcomes of LHI.Conclusion FD presented on TCD is an early predictor of outcomes in patients with LHI.