Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Case Report: Pafah1b1 Mutation And Posterior Band Heterotopia With Focal Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Treated By Responsive Neurostimulation, Frank G. Gilliam, Paddy Ssentongo, Michael Sather, Yuka I. Kawasawa

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Subcortical band heterotopia (SBH), also known as double cortex syndrome, is a malformation of cortical development caused by inherited or somatic gene variants. We present a case of a young adult with posterior SBH and electroclinical features of focal neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy. Genomic blood analysis identified a pathogenic somatic mosaicism duplication variant of the PAFAH1B1 gene. Despite bilateral cortical MRI abnormalities, the interictal and ictal EEG findings indicated a focal epileptogenic region in the left posterior temporal region. Chronic responsive cortical neurostimulation across two four-contact depth electrodes placed 5mm on either side of the maximal interictal spiking identified during …

Frontotemporal Dementias In Latin America: History, Epidemiology, Genetics, And Clinical Research, Jorge J. Llibre-Guerra, Maria Isabel Behrens, Mirna Lie Hosogi, Lucia Montero, Teresa Torralva, Nilton Custodio, Erika Mariana Longoria-Ibarrola, Margarita Giraldo-Chica, David Aguillón, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction: The historical development, frequency, and impact of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are less clear in Latin America than in high-income countries. Although there is a growing number of dementia studies in Latin America, little is known collectively about FTD prevalence studies by country, clinical heterogeneity, risk factors, and genetics in Latin American countries.

Methods: A systematic review was completed, aimed at identifying the frequency, clinical heterogeneity, and genetics studies of FTD in Latin American populations. The search strategies used a combination of standardized terms for FTD and related disorders. In addition, at least one author per Latin American country summarized …

Bilingual Problem-Solving Training For Caregivers Of Adults With Dementia: A Randomized, Factorial-Design Protocol For The Cades Trial, Shannon B. Juengst, Charlene Supnet, Chung Lin (Novelle) Kew, Valeria Silva, Marlene Vega, Gang Han, Brendan Kelley, Matthew Lee Smith, Gladys E. Maestre

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective: Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) often experience debilitating caregiver burden and emotional distress. To address these negative emotional consequences of caregiving, we will test and refine a strategy training intervention - Problem-Solving Training (PST) - that promotes self-efficacy and reduces caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. Previous research supports efficacy of PST; however, we do not know exactly how many PST sessions are needed or if post-training "boosters" are required to maintain PST benefits. Additionally, we translated and culturally-adapted PST into "Descubriendo Soluciones Juntos" (DSJ), our novel intervention for Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Method: In this 2 …

Serotonergic Therapy In Epilepsy, Frank Gilliam, Hrvoje Hećimović, Matthew S. Gentry

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Purpose of review

The serotonergic system is implicated in multiple aspects of epilepsy, including seizure susceptibility, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), and comorbid depression. Despite the complexity of serotonin’s effects on various neuronal networks, ongoing research provides considerable insight into the role of serotonin in human epilepsy. This review explores the potential roles of serotonergic therapies to improve clinical outcomes in epilepsy.

Recent findings

In recent decades research has markedly increased our knowledge of the diverse effects of serotonin on brain function. Animal models of epilepsy have identified the influence of serotonin on seizure threshold in specific brain regions, …

Neurodegeneration Difference Between The Non-Lesioned And Lesioned Hemisphere In Stroke Patient, N. Cortez, Elle Wynn, Kelsey Baker

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in Hispanics. It has generally been suggested that neurodegeneration is isolated to the lesioned hemisphere. However, recent evidence has suggested that the non-lesioned side of the brain may also undergo neurodegeneration. Here, we sought to evaluate the amount of neurodegeneration in the lesioned and non-lesioned hemisphere in chronic stroke patients and identify the impact of stroke size and location