Shorter Silent Interval in Apo-[epsilon] E4 Positive HS Patients.
Abstract number :
1.048
Submission category :
Year :
2001
Submission ID :
1192
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2001, 06:00 AM
Authors :
R.S. Briellmann, MD, Neurosciences Building, Brain Research Institute, Heidelberg West, Victoria, Australia; Y. Torn-Broers, BA (Hons), Neurosciences Building, Epilepsy Research Institute, Heidelberg West, Victoria, Australia; B.E. Busuttil, PhD, Clinical
RATIONALE: Many patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) have a history of an early initial insult. The silent interval is the time between this insult and the onset of habitual seizures. This study investigates the effects of apo E4 on the silent interval.
METHODS: We analysed 69 refractory TLE patients with pathologically confirmed HS. Presence, timing and nature of an initial insult, onset of habitual seizures and clinical course were compared between patients with and without apo E4 allele. As controls we analysed 99 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE).
RESULTS: The distribution of the alleles was not different between TLE-HS and IGE patients. Fifteen HS patients (22%) and 24 IGE patients(24%) had at least one apo E4 allele. Significant antecedent events were present in 51 of the refractory TLE patients. The silent interval was shorter for those with apo E4 (2.5, range 0-8 years), compared to those without apo E4 (7, range 0-39 years, p[lt] 0.05). The age at onset of habitual seizures was not different (E4 positive: 6.6 [plusminus]5 years, E4 negative 8.4 [plusminus]7 years, NS).
CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of apo E alleles was not different between patients with HS and with IGE, and did not differ from control data. Therefore, apo E4 is not a risk factor for TLE with HS, nor for IGE.
Apo E4 may have an effect on the silent interval in refractory TLE with HS. The shorter silent interval may be due to an impaired repair mechanism, shortening the latency between an initial injury and the development of habitual seizures.