title: Common dopaminergic mechanism for epileptic photosensitivity in progressive myoclonus epilepsies.
abstract: We studied the effect of apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist, on epileptic photosensitivity in 7 patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). Specific diagnoses included Baltic PME (Unverricht-Lundborg disease), Lafora disease, Kufs' disease, juvenile neuroaxonal dystrophy, and action myoclonus-renal failure syndrome; 2 patients had PME of uncertain etiology. Apomorphine blocked the epileptic photosensitivity in all patients and also reduced intention myoclonus in a patient with Baltic PME. There is a common deficit of dopaminergic inhibitory neurotransmission at the level of the striate cortex in patients with PME, regardless of the nature of the specific underlying neuropathologic process.
authors.affiliation: Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Québéc, Canada.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mervaala
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andermann
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Quesney
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krelina
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001058:Apomorphine