Features of epilepsy in acute and chronic cerebral ischemia

Abstract

Aim. To study clinical features, functional and neuroimaging characteristics of the brain of patients with ischemic brain disease and epileptic seizures. Methods. 772 patients with acute and chronic cerebral ischemia (265 stroke patients with epileptic seizures and 174 patients with seizures on the background of chronic cerebral ischemia, and 203 patients with stroke and 130 patients with chronic cerebral ischemia without seizures) were comprehensively examined. The clinical neurological examination, electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound duplex scanning of extra- and intracranial arteries with the assessment of the level and degree of stenosis and cerebrovascular reactivity were carried out. Results. Focal seizures prevailed in patients with cerebral ischemia. In patients with epileptic seizures on the background of both ischemic stroke and chronic cerebral ischemia cortical localization of ischemic foci prevailed. Early epileptic seizures in patients with ischemic stroke developed with significantly more frequent localization of ischemic focus in the right hemisphere with the orientation vector of neuroimaging formation of the ischemic lesion in the caudal direction. In patients with chronic cerebral ischemia with epileptic seizures, along with frequent lesion of the cortex, more frequent damage of white matter of the brain was observed. In patients with acute and chronic ischemia of the brain with epileptic seizures, a higher incidence of stenosis of major arteries and predominance of impaired cerebrovascular reactivity in posterior cerebral circulation system were established. Conclusion. Multimodal examination of patients with acute and chronic cerebral ischemia allowed forming risk groups for epileptic seizures.