To analyze clinical features of mah-jong reflex epilepsy, and to explore the underlying mechanisms.
 Methods: The clinical data of 15 patient (a study group), who visited in the outpatient department in the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from 2016 to 2018, were collected and analyzed. The clinical data included disease history, 24 h- electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Next, previous 84 case (a literature group) reports published in the past 20 years were searched and compared.
 Results: Both groups of mah-jong reflex epilepsy were predominant in middle-aged men, with onset ages of (44.53±10.58) and (41.48±17.85) years old, respectively. In the study group, time interval usually lasted (4.00±2.45) h from starting play mah-jong to seizure attack, 73.3% patients complained mental fatigue before seizure attack, and 93.3% of the patients were described to have general tonic-clonic seizure. Few positive result was discovered in auxiliary examination, and the percentage was 9.3% in EEG, while no positive outcome was seen in head MRI. There were no significant differences in gender, age of onset, duration of playing mah-jong before attack, type of attack, and changes of head MRI between the 2 groups (all P>0.05).
 Conclusion: Mental fatigue after long-time mah-jong playing and cognitive dysfunction might be the potential triggers in mah-jong reflex epilepsy.
Adult ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Reflex ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Seizures

Micturition is a complex process involving the bladder, spinal cord, and the brain. Highly sophisticated central neural program controls bladder function by utilizing multiple brain regions, including pons and suprapontine structures. Periaqueductal grey, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex are components of suprapontine micturition centers. Under pathologic conditions such as epilepsy, urinary dysfunction is a frequent symptom and it seems to be associated with increased suprapontine cortical activity. Interestingly, micturition can also trigger seizures known as reflex epilepsy. During voiding behavior, frontotemporal cortical activation has been reported and it may induce reflex seizures. As current researches are only limited to present clinical cases, more rigorous investigations are needed to elucidate biological mechanisms of micturition to advance our knowledge on the process of micturition in physiology and pathology.
Brain ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Reflex ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Pathology ; Physiology ; Pons ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Reflex ; Seizures ; Spinal Cord ; Urinary Bladder ; Urination*

Treatment by auricular acupuncture has a long history. Ear-acupoint research has been advancing step by step in China and also in Europe. Auricles are rich in nerves, therefore a close relationship with different functions of the human body has been proved by the research teams of the two main authors of this article from China and Austria. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research of regulating human body functions through electroacupuncture at the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which is part of auricular acupuncture therapy. It is well known that the auricular branch of the vagus nerve is the only peripheral pathway to the cerebral cortex. Studies of the Chinese team on hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy and depression have shown that the mechanism of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be comparable with cervical VNS in terms of pathways. Auricular VNS has a broad clinical application prospect.
Acupuncture, Ear ; Animals ; Austria ; Biomedical Research ; China ; Depression ; therapy ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; therapy ; Humans ; International Cooperation ; Reflex ; physiology ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

Basilar migraine is a rare type of migraine with complex symptoms including aura such as dysarthria, vertigo, tinnitus, and decreased level of consciousness. A 13-year-old male patient was presented with severe headache and immobility of whole body for 20 minutes after vomiting, dizziness, and dysarthria. Similar episode of headache and unconsciousness after vomiting happened 2 weeks ago prior to the visit. Vital signs were stable and pupils showed positive light reflex. Brain MRI and MRA, EEG, and electrocardiography revealed no abnormality. One day after discharge from hospital, patient revisited emergency room because of similar episode of headache. Preventive medication was started with flunarizine 5 mg per day. However, similar episodes of headache and loss of consciousness repeated three times over the next four months. Topiramate was then added with dose of 100 mg divided into two doses. Since then, the patient has been symptom free over 1 year.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Consciousness ; Dizziness ; Dysarthria ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Emergencies ; Epilepsy ; Flunarizine ; Fructose ; Headache ; Humans ; Light ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Migraine with Aura ; Paralysis ; Pupil ; Reflex ; Tinnitus ; Unconsciousness ; Vertigo ; Vital Signs ; Vomiting

Non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH) is recognized both as a direct cause of a precipitating factor of many types of epileptic seizure, including simple partial motor, complex partial as well as reflex motor seizure, choreoathetosis and ballismus. Its association with isolated visual alteration is less known. A 74-year-old diabetic woman with visual complaints manifested as flashing colorful lights (red, yellow and blue) in both visual field with progressive increase in frequency. Among the laboratory tests, NKH of 508mg/dL stood out. Slow waves from the right occipital region maximum at O2 associated with visual symptom were recorded in EEG. Brain MRI showed subcortical T2WI and FLAIR hypointensities in the right occipital lobe with scanty enhancement. Patient was treated with hydration and insulin and her symptoms disappeared after hyperglycemia was corrected. We stress that isolated visual episodes may be initial manifestation of occipital lobe simple partial seizure associated with NKH.
Aged ; Brain ; Dyskinesias ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Light ; Occipital Lobe ; Precipitating Factors ; Reflex ; Seizures ; Visual Fields

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of eyes closure and closed on the epileptiform discharges, and the relationship between eyes closure or closed sensitivity and photosensitivity.

METHODSDuring video-EEG monitoring, open-close eyes tests and intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) under different eyes conditions were carried out in epilepsy patients. The eyes conditions were divided into eyes opened, eyes closure (the period immediately after closing of the eyes and only lasts for less than 3 s), and eyes closed (the period lasting for more than 3 s and persisting as long as the eyes remain closed). From 135 patients, 13 cases whose EEG showed eyes closure or closed sensitivity had been selected out for our study. The clinical, eyes closure or closed sensitivity and the relationship between eyes closure or closed sensitivity and photosensitivity were analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 13 patients, 8 were female, and 5 were male. The age ranged from 6 years to 17 years (median 11 years). The age at onset of epilepsy ranged from 1.5 years to 14.5 years (median 9 years). Epileptiform discharges could be provoked by eyes closure in 10 of 13 patients, associated with photosensitivity in 8 patients. Of the 8 patients, 6 cases showed photosensitivity under eyes closure and only 4 cases showed photosensitivity under eyes closed. Eyes closed sensitivity had been seen in 3 patients, with photosensitivity in 2 patients. Evoked EEG patterns and discharges regions by eyes closure and eyes closed conditions had not obvious differential and might be strongly related to the types of epilepsies. The intensity and frequencies of photosensitivity under different eyes conditions were different. After valproate acid treatment, the eyes closure or closed sensitivity and photosensitivity improved in 4 cases, with improvement of photosensitivity prior to eyes conditions sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONSEyes closure and eyes closed could induce EEG paroxysms, which involved in some types of epileptic syndromes and appeared common in female patients. Eyes closure or closed sensitivity might coexist or be disassociated with photosensitivity. Testing eyes closure, eyes closed and IPS during EEG monitoring would contribute to finding the EEG discharges, further help to diagnose epilepsies and epileptic syndromes and guide treatment.

Adolescent ; Blinking ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Reflex ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Photic Stimulation

BACKGROUND: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is characterized by myoclonic seizures on awakening and giant somatosensory evoked potentials. Those characteristics suggest that JME is related with dysfunction of the brainstem reticular formation. Cardiovascular reflex is also closely related with the brainstem reticular formation, and head-up tilt-table test (HUT) is frequently employed to evaluate the cardiovascular reflex. We performed HUT to assess the cardiovascular reflex in patients with JME and syncope/presyncope. METHODS: We included 52 patients with alleged JME. HUT was performed in 20 of them with a history of presyncope or syncope. The protocol of HUT included 70 degree table tilting test and isoproterenol infusion test (1~5 microgram/min). We determined the positive responses according to the change of blood pressure and heart rate. The positive responses were classified as vasodepressive, cardioinhibitory, or mixed types. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical findings and responses of HUT. RESULTS: Syncope or presyncope occurred during the seizure-prone situation in 3 (15%), and during the syncope-prone situation in 17 (85%) patients. Fifteen (75%) patients had positive responses in HUT. The positive responses were during the baseline test in 1 (5%), during the low dose ((< or = 3 microgram/min) of isoproterenol infusion in 10 (50%), and during the high dose (> or = 4 microgram/min) of isoproterenol infusion in the remaining 4 (20%) patients. All the positive responses were vasodepressive type. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with JME, vasomotor reflex may be impaired. Our results suggest dysfunction of the brainstem reticular formation in JME.
Blood Pressure ; Brain Stem ; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Isoproterenol ; Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile ; Reflex ; Reticular Formation ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Syncope ; Tilt-Table Test

Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Reflex ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Light ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are currently few studies on clinical profiles of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking and spatial tasks. We studied the clinical characteristics of reflex epilepsy induced by playing oriental card and board games. METHODS: This study included 17 patients who presented with seizures that occur predominantly while playing games. We collected clinical data via protocol-based interviews. EEGs and brain MRI were performed. RESULTS: All of the subjects were men, and all of them were older than 30 years at the onset of seizure. Thirteen patients (76%) experienced their seizures while playing the oriental card game "Go-stop" and the remaining four patients (24%) experienced them while playing the oriental board game "Baduk". Generalized tonic-clonic seizures were frequently preceded by prodromal symptoms, but myoclonus was not evident. Most patients had no spontaneous seizures and generalized epileptiform discharges on EEGs, and infrequent seizures that were well controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Our patients exhibited some features that differ from those described previously in the literature, suggesting that the clinical spectrum of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking and spatial tasks is wide.
Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy, Reflex* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Myoclonus ; Prodromal Symptoms ; Reflex* ; Seizures ; Thinking

PURPOSE: Recently, Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been reported to show promising results as an adjunctive therapy for medically intractable seizures. We report early experiences with VNS for medically intractable epilepsy in young adults and pediatric patients. METHODS: Eleven patients ages ranging from 7 years to 29 years underwent implantation of vagal nerve stimulators (Cyberonics, Houston, TX) from September 1999 to April 2003. We reviewed clinical findings in 11 patients and recorded changes of seizure frequency, quality of life (QOL), and antiepileptic drug (AED). RESULTS: The mean age of seizure onset was 4.5 years old (range:3 months-11 years). The seizure duration before VNS was mean 8.7 years (range:1.5-19 years). Seven patients had symptomatic partial epilepsies, and one had cryptogenic partial epilepsy. Unclassified patients had 2 Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and 1 reflex epilepsy. Two patients received total callosotomy for reducing drop attack, but refractory. One patient, who underwent a temporal lobectomy, failed to obtain desirable results. One implantation was performed with total callosotomy, simultaneously. All of implantations were successful, except for one wound revision due to a subcutaneously protruded anchoring device of electrode. About two weeks after the implantation, programming of the stimuli was started and increased the output current to the levels, at which patients was tolerated. The most common adverse effect was hoarseness or voice alteration (44%). Mean reduction of seizure frequency compared with baseline before VNS was 23.6% after 3 months, 33.5% after 6 months, 41.3% after 1 year, and 46.6% at latest follow-up. Three patients had no response to VNS. One patient was added 1 one new AED after VNS. Two patients were reduced 1 or 2 drugs. But there was no correlation between VNS effect and AED change. Six patients had some improvement of QOL. Mean follow-up period, which was 28 months (range:12-48 months). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that VNS has a role of adjunctive therapy for medically intractable epilepsy and the further studies should be focused on the prediction of unresponsiveness and the adjustment of VNS parameters for maximal efficacy in patients with various backgrounds.
Electrodes ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Reflex ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Seizures ; Syncope ; Vagus Nerve Stimulation* ; Vagus Nerve* ; Voice ; Wounds and Injuries ; Young Adult