Ara Ko

Objectives: Pathogenic mutations in developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) are increasingly being discovered. However, little has been known about effective targeted treatments for this rare disorder. Here, we assessed the efficacy of ketogenic diet (KD) according to the genes responsible for DEE. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the data from 333 patients who underwent a targeted next-generation sequencing panel for DEE, 155 of whom had tried KD. Patients showing ≥90% seizure red

BACKGROUND: We intended to evaluate diagnostic utility of a targeted gene sequencing by using next generation sequencing (NGS) panel in patients with intractable early-onset epilepsy (EOE) and find the efficient analytical step for increasing the diagnosis rate. METHODS: We assessed 74 patients with EOE whose seizures started before 3 years of age using a customized NGS panel that included 172 genes. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and exonic and chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) were

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, in which fat, instead of glucose, acts as a major energy source through the production of ketone bodies. The KD was formally introduced in 1921 to mimic the biochemical changes associated with fasting and gained recognition as a potent treatment for pediatric epilepsy in the mid-1990s. Recent clinical and scientific knowledge supports the use of the KD in drug-resistant epilepsy patients for its anti-seizure efficacy, safety, and tole

Patients with neurological disorders are at high risk of developing osteoporosis, as they possess multiple risk factors leading to low bone mineral density. Such factors include inactivity, decreased exposure to sunlight, poor nutrition, and the use of medication or treatment that can cause lower bone mineral density such as antiepileptic drugs, ketogenic diet, and glucocorticoids. In this article, mechanisms involved in altered bone health in children with neurological disorders and management

We report well-defined mesoporous β-W(2)N nanoplates prepared by using layered WO(3)·H(2)O without templates. The tungsten nitride nanoplates exhibit typical mesoporous structures with size-controlled monomodal pore distributions.

Low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumors (LEATs) are responsible for drug-resistant chronic focal epilepsy, and are the second-most common reason for epilepsy surgery in children. LEATs are extremely responsive to surgical treatment, and therefore epilepsy surgery should be considered as a treatment option for LEATs. However, the optimal time for surgery remains controversial, and surgeries are often delayed. In this review, we reviewed published article on the factors associated wit

These findings strongly suggest that the AHCe-3D-3 siRNA, homologous to two different AHC-associated enteroviruses, can provide equivalent antiviral activities against both AHC-causing enteroviruses. Such an siRNA may be developed as a clinically valuable AHC control agent.

We report nanostructure electrodes for methanol electrooxidation by means of the co-sputtering deposition method. The Pt-WC-WO(3) three-phase electrode has higher I(f)/I(b) and oxidation current density i.e. improved electrocatalytic activity in comparison with those of pure Pt and two-phase electrodes because of both catalysis of tungsten carbide and size-control by tungsten oxide.

A greater proportion of patients with mTOR pathway responded to the KD, but there was no statistically significant difference in efficacy of the KD between patients with and without detectable mTOR pathway mutations. Further study is warranted due to the smallness of the sample and the limited number of mTOR pathway genes tested in this study.

OBJECTIVE: It has been known that West syndrome (WS) patients with an unknown etiology have better clinical outcomes than patients with an identified etiology of any kind. However, after the exponential discovery of genes with mutations responsible for developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), a significant proportion of patients with a previously unknown etiology have been reclassified as having a genetic etiology, requiring reinvestigation of this concept. Therefore, this study investi