Single Convulsion Research Articles

Infection and Genomic Characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni from a Patient Without Diarrhea - China, 2018.

A 20-month-old boy was admitted to the hospital with a maximum temperature of 40 °C and a single convulsion. Unexpectedly, blood culture detected Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis) using the VITEK 2 Compact System. After incubation of the patient's blood for 48 hours, the cultured strain was identified as Campylobacter jejuni, named L8, excluding F. tularensis. In the genome sequence of L8, we found a novel Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), of which the conserved C-terminal VgrG domain from positions 561 to 884 showed significant changes. It should be underscored that relying solely on automatic bacterial identification instruments for accurate strain identification is unreliable. Moreover, our study suggests that the potential effect of T6SS should be considered when studying the genetic features of a patient's clinical phenotypes.

Clinical Analysis of the Relationship between Convulsion and Blood Electrolyte in Children

Objective: Febrile convulsion in children is age-dependent and genetic predisposition. However, mild electrolyte disturbances are not uncommon in such children. This study was to investigate the effect of electrolyte disturbance on febrile convulsion and to screen for febrile convulsion-related genes. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included children who admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department of Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center due to fever and febrile convulsion between May to December 2020. Clinical manifestations and serum electrolyte levels were recorded and analyzed by binary logistic regression on risk factors of convulsion, and children with family histories were screened for febrile convulsion-related genes. Results: This study included 322 children with fever: 161 in the febrile convulsion group (FC Group) including 71 in the single convulsion group (SC Group) and 90 in the multiple convulsion group (MC Group), and the control group consisted of 161 children with fever without convulsion and nervous system disease. Serum sodium, potassium and calcium in FC Group were lower than those in the control group (p Conclusion: Hyponatremia may be a relative risk factor in febrile convulsion, and for children with a family history of febrile convulsion and serum sodium lower than 133 mmol/L, related gene analysis can be performed.

Time to recovery from Eclampsia and its determinants in east Gojjam zone hospitals, Amhara, Ethiopia, 2017/18

BackgroundEclampsia is a tonic clonic type of seizure among pre-eclamptic mothers. Time to recovery from eclampsia is to mean that the time when the mother recovered from severity features of pre-eclampsia. As far as the mother is not free from severity features, she is in a potential to end-up with repeated seizure (eclampsia). Therefore, combating eclampsia through controlling severity features is crucial to enhance maternal health quality, reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, and improve prenatal outcomes. There was no literature that describes the recovery time of eclampsia and its determinants in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the recovery time from eclampsia and its determinants in East Gojjam zone hospitals.MethodsAn institutional based retrospective follow up study was conducted between January 2014 and December 2017 among 608 eclamptic mothers in East Gojjam zone Hospitals. Simple random sampling technique was used. Data were coded and entered to Epidata version 3.1 and was exported to SPSS version 20 and then to Stata 14. We used the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) with 95% confidence interval at p-value less than 0.05 to measure strength of association.ResultThe median recovery time of eclampsia was 12 h with inter-quartile range of (1–48 h). The rate of recovery from eclampsia among mothers aged more than 20 years was reduced by half (AHR 0.50 (0.28, 0.89)) than the teenagers. The rate of recovery from eclampsia among mothers who had prolonged labor was 1.3 times (AHR 1.26 (1.01, 1.57)) than those whose labor was less than 12 h. About 32% of mothers with multiple convulsions recoverd later than (AHR 0.68 (0.52, 0.87)) those who had single convulsion. As compared to antepartum convulsion, the rate of recovery from postpartum eclampsia was 1.8 times faster (AHR 1.81(1.17, 2.81)).ConclusionThe median recovery time from severity features among eclamptic mothers in East Gojjam zone hospitals was half a day. It is affected by age, duration of labor, number of convulsions and time of occurrence of the event. Special attention for elders, prevent recurrent convulsion and faster termination for the antepartum eclamptic mothers are recommended from this follow-up study.

The Role of NLRP3 and IL-1β in Refractory Epilepsy Brain Injury.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the roles and mechanisms of inflammatory mediators NLRP3 and IL-1β in refractory temporal epilepsy brain injury.Method: First, the brain tissue and the peripheral blood of children undergoing intractable temporal lobe epilepsy surgery were analyzed as research objects. The expression levels of NLRP3 in brain tissue and IL-1β in blood were measured. A model of temporal lobe epilepsy was established using wild-type and NLRP3 knockout 129 mice. Pilocarpine was injected intraperitoneally into the experimental group, and isovolumetric saline was injected intraperitoneally into the control group (n = 8 in each group). The expression of IL-1β in the peripheral blood, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus of mice was measured by ELISA at 3 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days after modeling. Fluoro-Jade B (FJB) and TUNEL methods were used to determine necrosis and apoptosis in hippocampal neurons, respectively, and the expression of NLRP3 in the cortex was measured by immunofluorescence methods.Result: (1) The IL-1β levels in the peripheral blood of children with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy were higher than those in the control group (t = 2.813, P = 0.01). There was also a positive correlation between IL-1β expression levels and the onset time of a single convulsion in patients with refractory epilepsy (r = 0.9735, P < 0.05). The expression level of NLRP3 in the cerebral cortex of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy was higher than that in the control group. (2) The expression level of NLRP3 in the hippocampus of wild-type mice increased 3 days after modeling and decreased slightly at 7 days but remained higher than that of the control group. IL-1β levels in peripheral blood were significantly higher than those in the control group at 3 days (t = 8.259, P < 0.0001). The IL-1β levels in the peripheral blood of NLRP3 knockout mice were lower than those in the wild-type group at 3 days (t = 3.481, P = 0.004). At day 7, the neuronal necrosis and apoptosis levels in the CA3 region of the hippocampus decreased.Conclusion: NLRP3 may be involved in the development of refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. Inhibiting NLRP3 may alleviate local brain injury by downregulating the IL-1β expression. The IL-1β levels in the peripheral blood of patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy may reflect the severity of convulsions.

Parental knowledge, attitude and practices regarding febrile convulsion

Background: Febrile convulsion is a condition which can emotionally traumatize most parents. Inadequate knowledge regarding febrile convulsion can cause parental anxiety. This study is conducted to assess the level of parent’s knowledge, attitude and practices regarding febrile convulsion.Methods: It was a prospective questionnaire study conducted over a period of one year from January 2016 to January 2017 in Department of Paediatric of a tertiary care hospital KIMS, Bangalore. 110 children with febrile convulsion in the age group of 6 months to 5 years were enrolled.Results: Out of 110 children, 82 had single convulsion and 28 had recurrent convulsions. Mean age of onset of first febrile convulsion was 20 months. About 50 (45.45%) had experienced convulsion with one-episode of fever. Only 46 (41.8%) of parents recognized convulsion. Others interpreted convulsion as shivering (20.9%), evil effect (7.2%), excessive cry tantrum (10.9%), fainting spell (8.18%) and lethargy (20%). 88 (80%) did not carry out any intervention prior to getting the child to hospital. Effect of convulsion on parents was fear of death (82.7%), fear of epilepsy (17.3%), fear of recurrence (34.5%). 85% parents did not know that convulsion can occur due to fever. 32% thought that traditional treatment would help. Only 38% had thermometer at home and 23% knew the normal range of body temperature. Preventive measures were known to 44%.Conclusions: A higher level of understanding regarding practices was shown among higher socioeconomic and higher educational status. The efficiency of parental first aid practices can be evaluated and significant improvement can be achieved by giving adequate awareness and education.

Dynamics of Changes in the Fatty Acid Composition of the Auditory Cortex of the Brain in Rats after Single Audiogenic Convulsions

A small but significant increase in the quantity of lipid peroxidation-resistant saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids was found in the auditory cortex of Krushinskii–Molodkina (KM) rats, which have an inherited predisposition to audiogenic convulsions, as compared with Wistar rats. Assessment of the fatty acid composition of the auditory cortex in KM rats at 1 h and 1, 3, and 14 days after single audiogenic convulsions revealed changes at three days, evidencing significant depletion of the fatty acid pool at this time. At 14 days, the auditory cortex of KM rats showed recovery of most fatty acids. These results may be of value in developing new approaches to eliminating brain damage after convulsive seizures.

Effect of ropivacaine-induced convulsion on hippocampal synaptic development in neonatal rats

Objective To evaluate the effect of ropivacaine-induced convulsion on hippocampal synaptic development in neonatal rats. Methods Sixty 21-day-old Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats, weighing 40-41 g, were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=20 each)using a random number table: control group(group C), single convulsion group(group SC), and recurrent convulsion group(group RC). Normal saline 0.1 ml was intraperitoneally injected in group C. Group SC received single intraperitoneal injection of 0.5% ropivacaine 33.8 mg/kg.In group RC, 0.5% ropivacaine 33.8 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected once a day for 5 consecutive days.The rats developed convulsion were included in the study.Five rats were selected at 24 h, 3 days and 7 days after convulsion and at the age of 60 days in C and SC groups, and at 24 h, 3 days and 7 days after the last convulsion and at the age of 60 days in group RC, the rats were sacrificed, and the hippocampus was removed for examination of the ultrastructure of neurons(with a electron microscope)and for determination of the number of synapses, synaptic space and thickness of synaptic density. Results Compared with group C, the number of synapses was significantly decreased, and the synaptic space was widened at 24 h and 3 days after convulsion, and the thickness of synaptic density was thinned at 24 h after convulsion in group SC, and the number of synapses was significantly decreased, and the synaptic space was widened, and the thickness of synaptic density was thinned at 24 h, 3 days and 7 days after convulsion in group RC(P 0.05). Neurons exhibited nuclear swelling, mitochondria showed edema, and disrupted mitochondrial cristae and vacuoles were observed at 24 h and 3 days after convulsion, and these changes mentioned above were significantly attenuated at 24 h, 3 days and 7 days after convulsion. Conclusion Ropivacaine-induced convulsion exerts no effects on hippocampal synaptic development in neonatal rats. Key words: Amides; Convulsion; Drug toxicity; Synapses; Hippocampus; Child

Single Audiogenic Seizures Induce Increases in Calcineurin and Ca2+-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II in the Rat Brain

Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and protein phosphatase 2B (calcineurin) play critical roles in the formation of nerve cell responses to incoming Ca2+ signals. The studies report here addressed how single seizures might affect the functioning of these enzymes. Sounds (80 dB, 12–15 kHz) induced single convulsions in male Krushinskii–Molodkina rats, which have an inherited predisposition to audiogenic seizures. Biochemical investigations were performed two days after seizures. Immunoblotting studies with specific monoclonal antibodies demonstrated increases in the level of the neurospecific α subunit of CaMKII in the sensorimotor cortex and hippocampus of the rats of the experimental group, as compared with controls. The hippocampus of rats which had had seizures also showed increases in the catalytic subunit of calcineurin. CaMKII activity in the hippocampus and cortex of postseizure rats increased, though that of the Ca2+-calmodulin-independent functional form of the enzyme did not change. It is suggested that the long-term changes seen here may represent an adaptive mechanism induced by convulsive activity and directed to increasing the threshold of neuron excitability in the brain.

Pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions affect cellular and molecular parameters of the mechanism of action of triiodothyronine in adult rat brain

The aim of the current study was to elucidate whether the response of the adult rat brain to thyroid hormones is affected by the intensity of neuronal activity. For this purpose, the kinetic characteristics of nuclear T 3 binding, the relative expression of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoforms and the synaptosomal content of thyroid hormones in adult rat brain were examined after administration of a single convulsion dose of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Experiments in adult Wistar rats revealed an increase (33%) of the density of specific T 3 nuclear receptors in cerebral hemispheres 4 h after PTZ-induced seizures while no changes were observed in the dissociation constant. The relative expression of the T 3-binding isoforms of TRs was not affected, while there was a gradual decrease of the relative expression of the TRα2 variant (non-T 3 binding isoform). The above changes were coupled with an increase of the synaptosomal T 3 levels during the epileptic seizures. Our study revealed inversely proportional changes between the nuclear T 3 binding sites and the TRα2 mRNA levels 4 h after PTZ-induced seizures, suggesting that the regulation of the expression of the non-T 3 binding variant of TRs determines the nuclear T 3 binding sites in adult rat brain, while the synaptosomal T 3 levels could play a novel functional role in the signaling from the synapse to the nucleus.

Adenoviral gene transfer of aspartoacylase ameliorates tonic convulsions of spontaneously epileptic rats

The spontaneously epileptic rat (SER: tm/tm, zi/zi) shows both absence-like seizures and tonic convulsions. Our previous studies have demonstrated that absence-like seizures of the tremor rat (tm/tm), one of the parent strains of SER, were inhibited by adenoviral transfer of the aspartoacylase (ASPA) gene, a deleted gene in the tremor rat. In the present study, we examined whether the adenoviral gene transfer of ASPA inhibited the tonic convulsions of SER. Replication-defective recombinant adenoviral vectors carrying the rat ASPA gene (AxASPA) or Escherichia coli β-galactosidase gene (AxLacZ), as a control, were constructed. After it was confirmed that AxASPA-infected HeLa cells expressed ASPA in vitro, AxASPA or AxLacZ was administered into the left lateral ventricle of 11-week-old SER. The occurrence and duration of tonic convulsions in SER were evaluated before and after the administration of adenoviral vector. Intracerebroventricular administration of AxASPA (5×10 7 plaque forming units) transiently, but significantly, inhibited the occurrence of tonic convulsions in SER without affecting the duration per single convulsion 7 days after the administration. No inhibitory effects were observed 10 and 14 days after AxASPA administration. In contrast, the administration of AxLacZ did not have any effect on tonic convulsions in SER. Survival rates did not differ between AxASPA- and AxLacZ-treated SERs. Adenoviral gene transfer of ASPA, one of the deleted genes of SER, transiently rescued SERs from tonic convulsion, although it did not improve their survival time.

Efficacy of Magnesium Sulphate and Phenytoin in the Management of Eclampsia

Fifty pregnant women admitted with diagnosis of eclampsia were randomly allocated to magnesium sulphate (Group A) or phenytoin sodium (Group B) treatment group. Incidence of recurrence of seizures maternal as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality were compared in both the groups. Mean maternal age, parity and gestational age was similar in both the groups. Mean birth weight was significantly lower in Group B compared to Group A. Seizure frequency prior to hospitalization was 5.4 +/- 4.7 in Group A and 4.8-3.6 in Group B. Mean time interval between occurrence of first seizure and hospitalization was 9.6 +/- 3.5 hours in Group A and 11.8 +/- 9.3 hours in Group B, the difference was not statistically significant. Women treated with phenytoin had a higher incidence of recurrent seizures (10/25-40%) than those treated with magnesium sulphate (2/25-8%). Majority of the women treated with phenytoin (6/10-60%) had single convulsion after initiation of anticonvulsant therapy and 1 woman of each group had recurrent convulsions (75). There was no significant difference in perinatal outcome in both the groups. Maternal morbidity was comparable in both the groups and there was no maternal death in either of the groups.

The effects of a single neonatally induced convulsion on spatial navigation, locomotor activity and convulsion susceptibility in the adult rat

The effect of a single neonatal convulsion on subsequent behaviour was investigated in the male rat. Convulsions were induced by heat or pentylenetetrazol on days 1, 10 or 21. As adults, locomotor activity, spatial ability and convulsion susceptibility were measured. Significant differences were seen in some measures and some groups but a single neonatal convulsion did not induce a consistent and significant pattern of behavioural change, despite the persistent change in hippocampal physiology shown in a previous study.

Antidepressant therapeutic effect of mianserin‐induced generalized tonic‐clonic seizure in an elderly patient

AbstractGeneralized tonic‐clinic seizures may appear as a side‐effect of all antidepressant drugs, including mianserin. We present here a case of an 83‐year‐old woman whose major depressive episode (superimposed on mild dementia) completely resolved following a generalized tonic‐clonic seizure. The improvement, which was maintained for 3 months, may be attributable to the drug‐induced single convulsion. It would be of interest to know whether other psychiatrists have had similar experiences concerning an immediate antidepressant effect to a single tonic‐clonic seizure (drug‐induced or provoked by electroconvulsive therapy). If a subgroup of patients responsive to single generalized tonic‐clonic seizure were to exist (especially among elderly patients), it would allow them to receive a minimal number of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) sessions, decreasing the probability of the appearance of ECT side‐effects.

Spontaneous convulsions in Charles River Wistar rats.

Spontaneous clonic convulsions in the Charles River Wistar rat have been observed at an incidence of 1.5%. Females (2.3%) are more susceptible than males (0.7%). These convulsions are not seen in rats of less than approximately 16 weeks of age. Some animals have exhibited single convulsions whilst others have convulsed on numerous occasions. No histopathological abnormalities of the brain have been recorded for these animals following routine examination.

Association of human herpesvirus 6 infection of the central nervous system with recurrence of febrile convulsions.

To determine the relationship of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection to febrile convulsions, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with a history of febrile convulsion were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for HHV-6 DNA. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 9 of 10 samples from patients with exanthem subitum who showed neurologic symptoms. Also, 8 of 10 CSF samples from 8 patients who had three or more febrile convulsions and 1 of 7 CSF samples from patients who had a single febrile convulsion contained HHV-6 DNA. These data suggest that HHV-6 may invade the brain during the acute phase of exanthem subitum and that recurrence of febrile convulsions may be associated with reactivation of HHV-6.

Increases in brain polyamine concentrations in chemical kindling and single convulsion induced by pentylenetetrazol in rats

Concentrations of the polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine were investigated in rat brains, in which chemical kindling or single convulsion had been induced by intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). A single injection of 60 mg/kg of PTZ produced tonic-clonic convulsion and increased the putrescine concentration 8 h after the injection. At lower doses of PTZ (10 and 30 mg/kg), neither marked behavioral seizure nor significant change in any polyamine concentration was observed. On the other hand, repeated injections of 30 mg/kg of PTZ eventually resulted in intense motor seizures (PTZ kindling) and increased the concentrations of all three polyamines. The most marked increase was detected in putrescine 1–48 h after the intense seizures. The increase in putrescine was clearly higher in PTZ kindling than in single convulsion. These results suggest that increases in polyamine concentrations are involved in neuronal excitability in the epileptic brain.

Effects of amygdala kindling and electroconvulsive seizures on the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone in the rat brain

Wjile low doses of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) induce behavioral activation as part of the stress response, higher doses cause pathological excitability and seizures. Single CRH-induced convulsions resemble those following amygdala “kindling” in which intermittent exposure to a subconvulsive electrical stimulus eventually produces a motor seizure. To examine the possibility that alterations in CRH activity occur in kindling we used in situ hybridization to determine if electrical kindling of the amygdala or electroconvulsive seizures (ECS) could alter the expression of CRH mRNA in the rat brain. Amygdala kindling resulting in either after-discharges alone or full-blown motor seizures produced a dramatic increase in CRH but not glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA in the dorsal hippocampus, specifically in the large interneurons of the polygonal layer of the dentate hilus. CRH mRNA per cell and the number of cells expressing CRH increased at 30 min, 2 h, and 24 h but not at 3 weeks following the last kindled seizure. Repeated ECS also induced an up-regulation of CRH mRNA in the dentate hilus. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that seizures increased the number of hilar cells expressing CRH peptide. This induction of CRH could not be explained by nonspecific stress effects as neither restraint stress nor adrenalectomy had any influence on CRH mRNA in the dentate hilus. Both repeated ECS and kindled seizures also caused an increase in CRH mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus similar to that induced by chronic stress. Our results indicate that epileptiform activity induces CRH mRNA in the dentate hilus where normally very little CRH is expressed, suggesting that CRH may be important in mediating electrical excitability in the dentate gyrus and hippocampus.

Alterations of A1 adenosine receptors in different mouse brain areas after pentylentetrazol-induced seizures, but not in the epileptic mutant mouse ‘tottering’

Single and repeated Pentylentetrazol (PTZ)-induced convulsions are associated with significant changes of A adensine receptors (detected using the radioligand [ 3H]cyclohexyladenosine, [ 3H]CHA) in 4 different brain areas of the mouse, namely cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum. In hippocampus and cerebellum, a rapid increase in [ 3H]CHA binding, by 26% and 30% respectively, was observed 1 h after a single PTZ convulsion. In striatum, on the contrary, a significant decrease by 30% in [ 3H]CHA binding was seen, whereas in cortex no significant change could be detected. After daily repeated PTZ convulsions, a significant increase of A1 receptors by 26% appeared also in cortex, while the changes of A1 receptors observed in the other brain areas after a single PTZ convulsion were maintained in almost the same range. All the alterations observed were due to changes of the total number of A1 receptors ( B max) without changes in receptor affinity ( K rmd). A significant increase in the latency of PTZ seizure (time between the PTZ-injection and the beginning of the seizure) was also observed after repeated PTZ-induced convulsions at the time when the changes in A1 adenosine receptors were noted. Considered together, these results provide further evidence for an A1 receptor-mediated modulation of seizure susceptibility and indicate that specific brain areas may play different roles in this modulation. The binding of [ 3H]CHA to membranes from different cortical and subcortical areas of the epileptic mutant mouse ‘tottering’ was not different from that in control animals.

GABA-gated chloride ion influx in brains of epileptic El mice

GABA-gated chloride ion influx was measured in brain "microsac" preparations of epileptic El mice. There was significantly greater sensitivity to GABA in stimulated El mice (which had 14-18 convulsions induced at weekly intervals) than in unstimulated El mice (which had not experienced convulsions) or ddY mice. GABA-gated chloride ion influx was significantly decreased 20 min after a single convulsion, and returned to the preconvulsion level 60 min after a convulsion. These findings suggest that the functional state of GABA-gated chloride channel in El mice is changed secondarily by single or repeated convulsions.

Convulsions in children undergoing renal transplantation

We reviewed the records of 154 children who received 207 renal transplants for end-stage renal disease from 1965 to 1987, and discovered that 48 (31%) had had convulsive seizures, some before transplant surgery, others only after transplant, and some during both before and after transplantation. The majority of children had minimal long-term problems, and 60% of the children had only a single convulsion. In six of the patients, convulsions were a manifestation of more serious underlying conditions that produced significant morbidity. Seizures of differing clinical type occurred, with hypertension being the most significant etiologic factor. In children with renal failure, there are minimal symptoms heralding the hypertensive encephalopathy. Rapid resolution without recurrence of seizures after control of hypertension is a major sign that hypertension was the cause and that the long-term prognosis is good.