title: Noninvasive treatment alternative for intractable startle epilepsy.
abstract: We describe a treatment alternative for intractable, startle-provoked, epileptic seizures in four children aged between 8 and 14. Three of the four children had symptomatic localization-related epilepsy. They all suffered from intractable epilepsy precipitated by sudden sounds. The fact that seizures tended to occur with high frequency - more than one seizure a day - had a clear impact on daily life. Clinical seizure pattern demonstrated asymmetric tonic posturing in all four children. Three children experienced several seizure types including focal seizure onset. All children had focal neurological signs or learning disabilities or a combination of both. Our noninvasive treatment method using psychoeducational counseling and sound generators was applied in four children, resulting in a seizure frequency reduction of ≥ 50% in two of them.
authors: Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ; School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, University Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Klinkenberg
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Sander
authors: S
authors: Ubbink
authors: Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ; School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, University Maastricht, The Netherlands ; Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Vles
authors: Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: de Louw
authors: Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands.
authors: Mariette Debeij
authors: MD
authors: van Hall
authors: Department of Audiology, Adelante Zorggroep, Hoensbroek, The Netherlands.
authors: Dyon
authors: D
authors: Scheijen
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands ; School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, University Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Brokx
keywords: ASR, acoustic startle reflex; Behavioral therapy; Intractable epilepsy; MR, magnetic resonance; Retrainers; SPES, startle-provoked epileptic seizures; Sound generators; Startle-provoked seizures