Rapidly progressive cognitive impairment with neuropsychiatric symptoms as the initial manifestation of status epilepticus Academic Article

journal

  • Epilepsy and Behavior Case Reports

abstract

  • © 2016 The AuthorsThe purpose of this article is to describe the clinical and electroencephalographic features of patients diagnosed with non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) with uncommon cognitive and behavioral involvement. We present two cases with sub-acute cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders (including anxiety and transient behavioral changes) as their first manifestation of NCSE. A neuropsychological profile demonstrated executive dysfunction. In addition, the neurological examination revealed automatisms and 24-hour video EEG showed epileptiform activity. Although neuroimaging studies showed frontotemporal abnormalities, both neurophysiological and cognitive improvement after specific antiseizure drug treatment confirmed the diagnosis of non-convulsive status. Theoretical considerations between mental status changes and focal epilepsy will be reviewed. Our cases raise awareness of the importance of considering NCSE, a treatable condition, in the differential diagnosis of rapidly-progressive cognitive impairment with neuropsychiatric symptoms.

publication date

  • 2017-1-1

keywords

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Automatism
  • Cognitive Dysfunction
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Electroencephalography
  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Partial Epilepsy
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Status Epilepticus
  • Therapeutics

number of pages

  • 4

start page

  • 20

end page

  • 23