1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-1-49 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-1-7-4 Seizure Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Post-Ictal ACTH and Prolactin Plasma Levels http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 12 1987 01 08 2016 1 7 49 49 Copyright: © 1987 The Author(s) 1987 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Neuroendocrine disorders observed in the post-critical phase in epileptic patients

Significant elevations in ACTH and prolactin plasma levels were found within one hour after generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 10 epileptic patients but not in patients with syncopal attacks investigated at the Service de Neurologie, Hopital General 3, rue Faubourg Raines, Dijon, France.

 Prolactin Plasma Levels Tonic-Clonic Seizures Anti-Convulsant Effects

Significant elevations in ACTH and prolactin plasma levels were found within one hour after generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 10 epileptic patients but not in patients with syncopal attacks investigated at the Service de Neurologie, Hopital General 3, rue Faubourg Raines, Dijon, France. The mean ACTH and prolactin levels were 72.6+/- 3.7pg/ml and 13.9+/-1.9 ng/ml at one hour compared to 17.1+/-2.1 pg/ml and 4.1+/-1.2 ng/ml, respectively, at three to five days after seizures; the differences were significant (p<0.01) and independent of anti-convulsant effects. Levels of FSH, LH, and TSH were unchanged. The post-ictal rise of ACTH and prolactin levels may be used in the differentiation of epileptic seizures and syncope. [1]

COMMENT. In the last 10 years, numerous studies have demonstrated the hormonal effects not only of generalized convulsive seizures but also of complex partial seizures and of interictal epileptiform discharges [2]. Plasma prolactin elevations are used to differentiate epileptic from pseudo-seizures [3]. It is postulated that persistent elevations of prolactin may contribute to endocrine dysfunctions in epileptic patients.

In the same issue of [4], Landrieu P of the Hospital de Bicetre reviews the recent progress and perspectives in pediatric neurology in France.

 Giroud M Desgres J Mack G Dumas R Neuroendocrine disorders observed in the post-critical phase in epileptic patients Rev Neurol (Paris) 1987 143 8-9 620 3 2823365 Molaie M Culebras A Miller M Effect of interictal epileptiform discharges on nocturnal plasma prolactin concentrations in epileptic patients with complex partial seizures Epilepsia 1986 Nov-Dec 27 6 724 8 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1986.tb03601.x 3780608 Collins WC Lanigan O Callaghan N Plasma prolactin concentrations following epileptic and pseudoseizures J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1983 Jun 46 6 505 8 10.1136/jnnp.46.6.505 6410003 Landrieu P Recent advances and perspectives in child neurology Rev Neurol (Paris) 1987 143 8-9 559 70 3313630