METABOLIC AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC CHANGES IN IDIOPATHIC EPILEPSY

Abstract

THE STUDY to be described was carried out to determine the effect of cortisone in a case of idiopathic epilepsy. McQuarrie and associates¹ had previously demonstrated that desoxycorticosterone reduced the number and severity of seizures provoked by a vasopressin hydration regimen. Aird and Gordon² also showed that desoxycorticosterone reduces the severity and frequency of seizures in epileptics on no other treatment and referred to the drug as an anticonvulsant. Both Aird and Gordon² and Klein and Livingstone³ also found that desoxycorticosterone reduced electroencephalographic abnormalities in epileptics. Because of the similarity of desoxycorticosterone and cortisone in structure and in certain metabolic actions, it was thought that cortisone might be similarly anticonvulsant. The decision first had to be made whether to conduct limited observations on a group of epileptics or whether to study one patient intensively. The latter plan was followed. The patient chosen had severe epilepsy, was