Complex Partial Seizures in Childhood

Abstract. A clinical and electroencephalographic study was undertaken on 215 children with complex partial seizures as selected on the basis of the International Classification of Epileptic Seizures (1981).

• 1

  Complex partial seizures were noted in 7.8% of the epileptic children.
• 2

  The ictal symptoms of complex partial seizures closely resembled those of psychomotor triad described by Lennox.
• 3

  Interictal EEG revealed seizure discharges from the temporal or frontal focus in 57.2%.
• 4

  There existed a group with automatism as a main symptom having both diffuse slow spike-waves and focal temporal spikes. This type should be interpreted to be one of secondary generalized epilepsies and be a variant of the Lennox syndrome.

     

The regulation of prostaglandin E1 formation: a candidate for one of the fundamental mechanisms involved in the actions of vitamin C.

Vitamin C stimulates the formation of PGE1 in human platelets. The effect occurs over the physiologically relevant range of concentrations. PGE1 is required for T lymphocyte function and plays a major part in the regulation of immune responses. PGE1 is also important in the regulation of collagen and ground substance metabolism, in cholesterol metabolism and in regulation of responsiveness to insulin. It is proposed that defective formation of PGE1 could account for many of the features of scurvy and for many of the reported therapeutic effects of vitamin C. If correct, vitamin C will be of value only in conjunction with an adequate supply of dihomogammalinolenic acid, the precursor of PGE1. Essential fatty acids, pyridoxine and zinc are all required to achieve this.