Objectives. Assessing the effectiveness and tolerability of medical cannabis (MC) treatment on Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) patients. Methods. We report on an open-label, prospective study on the effect of MC on adult GTS patients. MC mode of use was decided by the treating neurologist and the patient. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) content within MC product and monthly dose were titrated during the study. Following treatment initiation, patients were assessed after 4 and 12 weeks for efficacy, tolerability, and side effects. Results. Eighteen patients entered the study. Baseline Yale Global Tic Severity Scale- (YGTSS) Total (range 0-100) was 60.3 ± 17.1 . Three patients did not reach the end of follow-up period. The most common mode of administration was smoking (80%). Following twelve weeks of treatment, a significant 38% average reduction ( p = 0.002 ) of YGTSS-Total and a 20% reduction ( p = 0.043 ) of Premonitory Urge for Tic Scale (PUTS) were observed. Common side effects were dry mouth (66.7%), fatigue (53.3%), and dizziness (46.7%). Three patients suffered from psychiatric side effects including worsening of obsessive compulsive disorder (stopped treatment), panic attack, and anxiety (resolved with treatment modification). Six patients (40%) reported cognitive side effects regarding time perception, visuospatial disorientation, confusion, slow processing speed, and attention. Conclusions. MC treatment demonstrates good efficacy and tolerability in adult GTS patients. Predilection for smoking rather than using oil drops requires further comparative studies to evaluate the efficacy of each. Cognitive and psychiatric side effects have to be monitored and addressed.
Objectives We aimed to explore the diagnostic value, clinical correlates and electroencephalographic features of FIRDA (Frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity). Materials and methods We retrospectively reviewed reports from EEG studies done in adults at our tertiary center between January 2015 and May 2018. For cases demonstrating FIRDA, medical files were reviewed and each case was given a diagnostic category. EEG recordings were reviewed and electrophysiologic data were extracted including FIRDA characteristics (frequency, location, duration, and symmetry). Then, a statistical analysis was done to evaluate the relationship between the diagnostic categories and EEG variables. Results Ninety‐four cases of FIRDA were found, with a frequency of 1.6% among inpatients. EEG recordings were available for review in 84 cases. FIRDA was asymmetric in 43 of these cases (49%), usually more prominent on the left (36/43, 84%). The diagnostic category groups included epilepsy (n = 39, 41%), other central nervous system (CNS) disease (n = 33, 35%), and systemic illness (n = 22, 23%). A significant difference in FIRDA location was found, as patients with epilepsy or other CNS disease, had a significantly higher probability for the delta activity to involve the temporal areas (frontotemporal location in 27/64 in these groups compared with 3/20 in the systemic illness group, P‐value = .033). Conclusions This study provides insights to the diagnosis underlying FIRDA, especially the high rate of epilepsy patients, and calls for further neurologic investigation of cases in which FIRDA involves the temporal areas since most of these cases were due to epilepsy or other CNS disease and not a systemic illness.
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