Key result
A single spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion caused plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations to rise sharply within 30 minutes and then decline rapidly.
Why the study?
Does a single spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion increase plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations in patients?
Observational (n=17)
Does a single spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion increase plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations in patients?
Spontaneous tonic-clonic seizures cause a sharp, transient increase in plasma catecholamines that may be large enough to have cardiovascular or metabolic consequences.
May prompt post-seizure cardiac monitoring in vulnerable patients; leaves open causal role in SUDEP.
Concentrations of circulating catecholamines increase after induced seizures in animals and electroconvulsive therapy in humans. We measured plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations after a single spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion in 17 patients to determine whether similar changes occur and to determine their magnitude. Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine rose sharply within 30 minutes of the seizure and then declined rapidly. The norepinephrine response was attributed to generalized sympathetic neural activation and was sufficient to exert a direct vasoconstrictor effect. The epinephrine response was presumably due to adrenal activation and was large-enough to have cardiovascular or metabolic consequences.
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Simon et al. (1984) conducted an observational in Spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion (n=17). Spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion was evaluated on Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations. A single spontaneous tonic-clonic convulsion caused plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations to rise sharply within 30 minutes and then decline rapidly.
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