Leila Simani1, Mahboubeh Elmi2, Marjan Asadollahi3. 1. Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of epilepsy, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Ave., Kamali St., Tehran, Iran. 3. Department of epilepsy, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, South Kargar Ave., Kamali St., Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: marjanasadollahi54@gmail.com.
Abstract
PURPOSE: There has been increasing interest in the use of different biomarkers to help distinguish psychogenic from epileptic seizures, in patients presenting acutely with seizure-like events. In the present study, we measured serum glial fibrillary astrocytic protein (GFAP) levels in patients presenting with such events who were subsequently diagnosed as epileptic seizures (ESs) or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNESs) and compared GFAP levels obtained with those found in healthy subjects. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with seizures (43 with ES and 20 with PNES), and 19 healthy subjects participated in the study. Venous blood samples were obtained within the first 6 h after seizures and serum GFAP levels were measured by protein quantification (ELIZA kit) with an electrochemical luminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: Serum GFAP levels were significantly higher in patients with ES compared to PNES or healthy controls. A cut-off point of 2.71 ng/ml was found optimally to differentiate ES from PNES (sensitivity 72%, specificity 59%). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that post-seizure serum GFAP levels could be used in future studies better to understand the underlying mechanism of seizures and may offer as an adjunctive diagnostic test in differentiating ES from PNES.
PURPOSE: There has been increasing interest in the use of different biomarkers to help distinguish psychogenic from epileptic seizures, in patients presenting acutely with seizure-like events. In the present study, we measured serum glial fibrillary astrocytic protein (GFAP) levels in patients presenting with such events who were subsequently diagnosed as epileptic seizures (ESs) or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNESs) and compared GFAP levels obtained with those found in healthy subjects. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with seizures (43 with ES and 20 with PNES), and 19 healthy subjects participated in the study. Venous blood samples were obtained within the first 6 h after seizures and serum GFAP levels were measured by protein quantification (ELIZA kit) with an electrochemical luminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: Serum GFAP levels were significantly higher in patients with ES compared to PNES or healthy controls. A cut-off point of 2.71 ng/ml was found optimally to differentiate ES from PNES (sensitivity 72%, specificity 59%). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that post-seizure serum GFAP levels could be used in future studies better to understand the underlying mechanism of seizures and may offer as an adjunctive diagnostic test in differentiating ES from PNES.
Authors: Harm Jan van der Horn; Koen Visser; Johan Bijzet; Pieter Vos; Joukje van der Naalt; Bram Jacobs Journal: Front Neurol Date: 2022-05-18 Impact factor: 4.086
Authors: Michele Simonato; Denes V Agoston; Amy Brooks-Kayal; Chris Dulla; Brandy Fureman; David C Henshall; Asla Pitkänen; William H Theodore; Roy E Twyman; Firas H Kobeissy; Kevin K Wang; Vicky Whittemore; Karen S Wilcox Journal: Nat Rev Neurol Date: 2021-02-16 Impact factor: 42.937
Authors: Ahmed Abdelhak; Matteo Foschi; Samir Abu-Rumeileh; John K Yue; Lucio D'Anna; Andre Huss; Patrick Oeckl; Albert C Ludolph; Jens Kuhle; Axel Petzold; Geoffrey T Manley; Ari J Green; Markus Otto; Hayrettin Tumani Journal: Nat Rev Neurol Date: 2022-02-03 Impact factor: 44.711