The role of the intracarotid amobarbital procedure in predicting verbal memory decline after temporal lobe resection

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the utility of baseline neuropsychological measures and scores from the intracarotid amobarbital procedure (IAP) in the prediction of postoperative memory decline in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery patients. METHODS: Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relation between demographic variables, baseline neuropsychological scores, and scores from the IAP (using mixed verbal and nonverbal stimuli) and postoperative deterioration in verbal learning and verbal recall in 91 patients (48 right, RTL; 43 left, LTL) who had undergone a standard anterior temporal lobe resection for the relief of medically intractable epilepsy and who had been followed up 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: In the RTL group, the IAP scores were not significant predictors of a postoperative decline in verbal learning or recall. In the LTL group, postoperative decline in verbal learning was associated with good preoperative baseline scores, an older age at the time of surgery, and an unexpected asymmetry on the IAP. Baseline neuropsychological scores and scores from the IAP were associated with a significant postoperative decline in verbal recall in the LTL group. CONCLUSIONS: Scores from the IAP using mixed stimuli were not helpful in the prediction of postoperative verbal memory decline in RTL patients. The significance of IAP scores in predicting verbal memory deficits in LTL patients may be task specific.     

Predicting memory decline following epilepsy surgery: a multivariate approach

BACKGROUND: While some patients experience a decline in memory function following an anterior temporal lobe resection, there is considerable individual variation in the extent, nature, and direction of postoperative memory change. Patients with surgically remediable temporal lobe epilepsy differ in etiology, the extent and type of underlying pathology, and on demographic and epilepsy-related variables, all of which may have an impact on their pre- and postoperative neuropsychological functioning. This study examined the relationship between these variables and postoperative memory decline. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of age, laterality of surgery, age of onset of epilepsy, underlying pathology and preoperative level of memory function on postoperative verbal learning in 288 patients who had undergone an anterior temporal lobe resection. One hundred twenty-five patients underwent a right temporal lobe resection (RTL), 163 patients underwent a left temporal lobe resection (LTL). RESULTS: In the group as a whole, 25% of the patients demonstrated a significant postoperative deterioration in verbal learning. Postoperative deterioration in verbal learning was significantly associated with higher levels of preoperative function in both the RTL and LTL groups. Older age at the time of the operation and a lower verbal IQ were additional significant predictors for the RTL group. The presence of cortical dysgenesis was a significant predictor of postoperative decline in the LTL group. The logistic regression models accurately identified 3/4 of those who experienced a postoperative decline in memory, using a cutoff of 0.25 or above to identify high risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses suggest that the majority of patients with a high risk of significant postoperative memory decline can be reliably identified preoperatively. These models are valuable tools helping patients make an informed decision regarding surgery.     

Contributions of capsule, lipoproteins and duration of colonisation towards the protective immunity of prior Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharyngeal colonisation

Live attenuated vaccines have been proposed as a strategy to induce protective immunity against infectious diseases. Recent data have demonstrated that nasopharyngeal colonisation with Streptococcus pneumoniae induces protective immunity against subsequent invasive infection, suggesting nasal vaccination with live attenuated bacteria could be a preventative strategy. However the bacterial factors affecting the strength of this adaptive immune response remain unclear. In a direct comparison with the parent wild-type strain, we found that colonisation with bacteria lacking either capsule or surface lipoproteins led to significantly diminished protection. Immunity after colonisation was not dependent on serum IgG to capsular antigens. Colonisation density and duration was reduced for all the non-protective strains, suggesting that protective immunity maybe related to the extent of nasopharyngeal bacterial exposure. To investigate this hypothesis, we utilised an auxotrophic bacterial Δpab strain where duration of colonisation could be controlled by supply and removal of para-amino-benzoic acid (PABA) to mouse drinking water. Supporting colonisation with the Δpab strain for 5 days with PABA led to a faster serum antibody response compared to colonisation for less than 48 h. This enhanced immunogenicity was associated with a trend towards protection. The data presented here aid our understanding of why only certain live attenuated strains are able to function as effective vaccines, and may be valuable in informing the constituents of future live attenuated vaccines.     

Indications and expectations for neuropsychological assessment in routine epilepsy care: Report of the ILAE Neuropsychology Task Force,Diagnostic Methods Commission, 2013–2017

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Diagnostic Methods Commission charged the Neuropsychology Task Force with the job of developing a set of recommendations to address the following questions: (1) What is the role of a neuropsychological assessment? (2) Who should do a neuropsychological assessment? (3) When should people with epilepsy be referred for a neuropsychological assessment? and (4) What should be expected from a neuropsychological assessment? The recommendations have been broadly written for health care clinicians in established epilepsy settings as well as those setting up new services. They are based on a detailed survey of neuropsychological assessment practices across international epilepsy centers, and formal ranking of specific recommendations for advancing clinical epilepsy care generated by specialist epilepsy neuropsychologists from around the world. They also incorporate the latest research findings to establish minimum standards for training and practice, reflecting the many roles of neuropsychological assessment in the routine care of children and adults with epilepsy. The recommendations endorse routine screening of cognition, mood, and behavior in new‐onset epilepsy, and describe the range of situations when more detailed, formal neuropsychological assessment is indicated. They identify a core set of cognitive and psychological domains that should be assessed to provide an objective account of an individual's cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial functioning, including factors likely contributing to deficits identified on qualitative and quantitative examination. The recommendations also endorse routine provision of feedback to patients, families, and clinicians about the implications of the assessment results, including specific clinical recommendations of what can be done to improve a patient's cognitive or psychosocial functioning and alleviate the distress of any difficulties identified. By canvassing the breadth and depth of scope of neuropsychological assessment, this report demonstrates the pivotal role played by this noninvasive and minimally resource intensive investigation in the care of people with epilepsy.     

Book review

The First Steps Towards an International Harmonisation of Veterinary Biologicals: 1993 and Free Circulation of Vaccines within the EEC F. BROWN & P. VANNIER (Eds). Developments in Biological Standardization, Vol. 79. Basel, Karger, 1992. 238 pp. SFr. 210; DM 251; pound105; US$168.ISBN 3-8055-5650-0.     

Antenatal Indomethacin-Adverse Fetal Effects Confirmed

Summary: We examined the association between antenatal indomethacin exposure and adverse neonatal outcome in a matched retrospective cohort study of infants born to 72 mothers at less than 31 weeks' gestation. Indomethacin-exposed mothers were matched to controls by gestational age at delivery, antenatal corticosteroid exposure, prolonged spontaneous rupture of membranes, multiple pregnancy, thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) exposure, and neonatal sex. Peri ventricular haemorrhage was significantly increased for infants delivered within 48 hours of maternal indomethacin exposure (Grade 1 and 2 19% versus 6%, and Grades 3 and 4 28% versus 3% (p>0.03)). Persistent patent ductus arteriosus was more common in those infants delivered within 48 hours of maternal indomethacin exposure (40% versus 20% (p>0.04)). More neonates exposed to antenatal indomethacin failed to respond to postnatal indomethacin to close a patent ductus arteriosus, 60% versus 0% (p>0.04). There were no adverse effects demonstrated of indomethacin administered greater than 48 hours from delivery. We have confirmed a probable association between antenatal indomethacin administration and an increased incidence of neonatal periventricular haemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, and impaired renal function. The adverse neonatal effects appear to be greatest when indomethacin is administered within 48 hours of delivery. We recommend that indomethacin should be used with caution as a tocolytic agent for the treatment of preterm labour at gestations less than 31 weeks.     

The isolation and characterisation of astroviruses from chickens.

The isolation, cultivation and characterization of three chicken astroviruses (CAstV) isolates are described. They are antigenically related to each other but unrelated to avian nephritis virus (ANV) and duck hepatitis virus type 2 (DVH2) in neutralization, immunofluorescence and gel diffusion tests. CAstV, ANV and DVH2 all grew well in the LMH cell line, which was used for assay and serological tests. Serological surveys in 1982 and 2001 showed that antibody to CAstV virus was widespread in broiler and broiler breeder flocks and present in some turkey flocks. Infection of 1-day-old specific pathogen free chicks with one isolate in the laboratory resulted in mild diarrhoea and some distention of the small intestine. The virus could be isolated in high titres from all parts of the small intestine but rarely from other organs. Electron microscopic examination of purified particles of this agent revealed the presence of clusters of small round viruses with a diameter ranging from 25 to 30 nm. The amino acid sequence derived from the relatively conserved non-structural polyprotein region of this virus shows 62% identity with the corresponding region of turkey astrovirus 2, 58% identity with turkey astrovirus 1, 55% identity with avian nephritis virus and 33% identity with sheep astroviruses. Taken together, the results indicate that the agent is a new chicken astrovirus belonging to the family Astroviridae.