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A prospective, multicentric, noncomparative open-label observational study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy zonisamide in Indian adult patients for the treatment of partial, generalized, or combined seizures. A total of 655 adult patients with partial, generalized, or combined seizures from 30 centers across India were recruited after initial screening. Patients received 100 mg zonisamide as initiating dose as monotherapy/adjunctive therapy for 24 weeks, with titration of 100 mg every 2 weeks if required. Adverse events, responder rates, and seizure freedom were observed every 4 weeks. Efficacy and safety were also assessed using Clinicians Global Assessment of Response to Therapy and Patients Global Assessment of Tolerability to Therapy, respectively. Follow-up was conducted for a period of 24 weeks after treatment initiation. A total of 655 patients were enrolled and received the treatment and 563 completed the evaluation phase. A total of 20.92% of patients received zonisamide as monotherapy or alternative monotherapy and 59.85% patients received zonisamide as first adjunctive therapy. Compared with baseline, 41.22% of patients achieved seizure freedom and 78.6% as responder rate at the end of 24 week study. Most commonly reported adverse events were loss of appetite, weight loss, sedation, and dizziness, but discontinuation due to adverse events of drug was seen in 0.92% of patients. This open label real-world study suggests that zonisamide is an effective and well-tolerated antiepileptic drug in Indian adults for treatment of partial, generalized as well as combined seizures type. No new safety signals were observed.

Extra cranial vertebrovertebral arteriovenous fistulas (VV AVF) are commonly associated with trauma. Their presentation may vary from palpable thrill and myelopathy or myeloradiculopathy. Sudden onset paraparesis is rare.

Rapid and effective revascularization is very important in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Endovascular treatment is a promising modality in the management of AIS in young patients. We evaluated the clinical and imaging records in 14 patients younger than 18 years presenting within 6 hours of AIS. They received endovascular therapy (ET) either by mechanical thrombectomy, thromboaspiration, or both (Solumbra) between July 2017 and June 2021 in our institute. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was calculated on admission and before the discharge of all patients. The 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score on disability-free outcome was also evaluated. The mean preprocedure NIHSS score was 10.78 ± 2.11 that improved to 4.5 ± 1.88 after the procedure. Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade 2b and 3 blood flow could be established in 12 (85.72%) patients. One patient had TICI 2a flow and one patient had recurrent occlusion despite repeated recanalization (TICI grade 0). The disability-free outcome, mRS score at 90 days was 0 to 1 in 12 (85.72%) patients, mRS score 2 in one (7.14%) patient, and mRS score 3 in one patient (7.14%). We did not have any major complication related to the procedure. ET provides high rates of arterial recanalization and favorable disability-free outcomes in young patients with AIS.

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