We attempted to test protein molecules being translated by polysomal poly (A)⁺ m RNAs isolated from seizure-susceptible EL mouse brain. A significant lower translational activity was observed in both mice that experienced seizure (EL [s]) and those that did not (EL [ns]), compared to progenitor dd Y mice at 100 days of age. Anal ysis of translational products using a SDS-PAGE showed some quantitative differences in 28-and 100-day-old EL mice.Among 100-day-old mice, these proteins containing molecular weights of 23.5, 32.5 and 33.0kDa were not observed in EL [s] mice by analysis of two dimensional gel electrophoresis. The deficiencies of three proteins ma ybe associated with performed seizure-susceptibility due to toss-up stimulation approximately 40 times once a week. The data with regard to addition of exogenous poly (A) suggests that altered initiation during the translational process in protein synthesis takes place in EL mice compared with dd Y mice.

View full abstract

It is considered that¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) values reflect the pathological conditions on both the epileptic focus side and non-focus side of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Twenty-two adults (eleven men and women) with TLE were studied about the correlation between MRS values and psychiatric symptom scales. N-acetylaspartate/choline+creatin (NAA) and choline/creatin (Cho) values were measured in the bilateral mesial temporal lobes. The psychdatric symptom scales were evaluated by Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL). Many scales of psychiatric symptoms such as depression and paranoid ideation shown by SCL negatively correlated with NAA values and positively with Cho values significantly. The NAA and Cho values in the left side were more correlated than those in the right side with mental symptom scales, which was shown markedly in Cho. Besides, decrease of NAA value was correlated significantly with secondarily generalized tonic clonic seizures among clinical factors.

View full abstract

Characteristics of evoked potentials in patients with Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) were investigated. Ten patients with DRPLA and 3 patients with other progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) participated in the study. Nine patients out of 10 were genetically diagnosed as DRPLA, having 62-75 CAG triplet repeat expansion on chromosome 12p; the other one had not been genetically confirmed but clinically diagnosed as DRPLA and was within the same pedigree as one of the 9 genetically confirmed patients. Two patients with PME out of 3 had been tested for dodecamer repeat expansion in cystatin B gene, and were genetically confirmed as Unverricht-Lundborg disease; the other one was also clinically diagnosed as Unverri-cht-Lundborg disease, but the patient did not have such expansion.Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were recorded. Amplitudes of SEP were determined as peak to peak amplitudes between P2 and N2 deflections.The results of the SEP revealed that none of the DRPLA patients evoked high amplitude SEPs; on the other hand, patients with other PME all evoked high amplitude SEPs.Moreover, brainstem activity in ABR were absent in 5 patients with DRPLA out of 8.These results suggest the difference in pathophysiology between DRPLA, being dominantly affected over brainstem and subcortical regions, and other PME, having cortical hyperexcitability.

View full abstract

I am reporting on a boy with phenytoin induced lymphadenopathy. The patient showed right frontal spikes on his EEG and was diagnosed as having localizationrelated epilepsy. He became seizure-free after he began taking phenytoin. However, nine months after he started taking the phenytoin, he developed a fever and a rash, and his bilateral cervical lymph nodes became tender and swollon.Laboratory examination showed neutrophilia and a high value of C reactive protein. He became symptom free soon after the phenytoin was withdrawn and no relapse has been observed for 5 months. Lymphadenopathy induced by phenytoin should be carefully differentiated from inflammatory lymphadenitis and lymphoma, which could be manifested later.

View full abstract