Churl-Su Kwon

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This systematic review pooled outcomes from 325 patients with both autism and drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent surgery. Surgical removal of brain tissue led to seizure freedom in 54% of patients, and brain stimulation devices reduced seizures by more than 80% in roughly one-third; patients with visible abnormalities on MRI and seizures originating in the temporal lobe did best. Most patients also showed improvement in behavior or quality of life after surgery, supporting surgical evaluation for well-selected patients with this dual diagnosis.

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A small RNA molecule called miR-124 is typically suppressed in AML, and researchers showed that restoring its levels forces leukemia cells to stop dividing, mature, and die. The mechanism involves miR-124 raising reactive oxygen species levels, which then shut down the cancer-promoting protein c-Myc — and c-Myc itself represses miR-124, creating a feedback loop that keeps leukemia going. Delivering miR-124 inside exosomes also reduced AML cell survival, pointing toward a potential RNA-based therapy.

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This review compared three structured methods — Delphi, nominal group technique, and the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method — used to build expert consensus recommendations when clinical trial evidence is limited or absent. The Delphi technique dominated epilepsy research (58 of 64 consensus studies), particularly for guiding management of rare or complex conditions like refractory seizures in pregnancy. The choice of method depends on available resources and whether rapid, in-person consensus is needed versus iterative anonymous rounds.

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Researchers tested whether a new epilepsy-specific tool for rating the quality of observational studies (the ILAE Risk of Bias Tool) gives results consistent with the well-established Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Across 54 studies on psychiatric conditions in people with epilepsy, the two tools showed strong agreement and the ILAE tool had excellent reproducibility when used by the same rater on different occasions. The ILAE tool can reliably replace general-purpose tools in epilepsy evidence reviews while also capturing disease-specific details those tools miss.

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Visomitin, a drug originally developed to protect mitochondria, was tested in AML cells to see if it could force leukemia cells to differentiate and die. It raised reactive oxygen species specifically inside AML cells, which then inhibited a protein called SYK, pushing cells toward maturity while reducing proteins that normally keep cancer cells alive. It shrank tumors in mice and suppressed growth in patient-derived AML samples, suggesting selective toxicity against leukemic cells.

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Researchers screened 100 FDA-approved drugs to find ones that can push acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to mature into normal, non-dividing cells. Tenofovir alafenamide, an antiviral drug used for HIV and hepatitis B, turned out to kill AML cells and force them to differentiate by blocking an enzyme called telomerase and triggering cellular stress signals. It also worked in cancer cells taken directly from patients and boosted the effect of standard chemotherapy, making it a candidate for repurposing as an AML treatment.

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Using Danish national registry data, researchers counted all people diagnosed with epilepsy and filled an antiseizure medication prescription in 2018 and compared their prevalence figures to global estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study. Denmark's overall epilepsy prevalence of 697 per 100,000 closely matched the GBD global estimate of 682, and perinatal injury, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, and stroke were the leading identifiable causes. The study recommends that future global estimates explicitly include epilepsy from known underlying causes rather than treating them only as sequelae of other diseases.

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This large meta-analysis pooled data from 27 studies covering over 565,000 people with epilepsy and 13 million without to quantify the odds of 20 psychiatric disorders in epilepsy. Nearly every psychiatric condition examined — including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, and alcohol dependence — was significantly more common in people with epilepsy, with odds ratios ranging from roughly 2 to 11. The scale of the psychiatric burden highlights the need for routine mental health screening and integrated care in epilepsy.

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Screening 100 South Korean plant extracts, researchers identified Chelidonium incisum (a wild plant from the poppy family) as strongly capable of pushing AML cells toward maturity. They isolated norchelerythrine as the active compound responsible, showing it triggers DNA damage signaling through reactive oxygen species and upregulates the cell-cycle inhibitor p21, leading to differentiation and cell death across multiple AML cell lines and patient samples with different genetic mutations. Norchelerythrine may represent a new natural compound for AML differentiation therapy.

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Researchers screened 200 plant extracts and identified the stem of the Akebia rhizome (ARH) as a potent inducer of AML cell maturation, then used chemical analysis to isolate Picroside III as the key active compound. Both the crude stem extract and isolated Picroside III forced AML cells to differentiate, slowed proliferation, and increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which drove the anti-leukemic effects. The findings establish Picroside III as a natural compound worth developing further for AML differentiation therapy.

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This systematic review examined 20 studies to evaluate whether epilepsy smartphone apps actually improve patient outcomes and whether patients find them usable and acceptable. Most studies focused on medication tracking and symptom logging, and results were mixed — randomized trials showed some concern for bias and cohort studies were only fair quality — while usability studies rated highly. Stronger, more standardized evidence is needed before apps can be broadly recommended as clinical tools in epilepsy care.

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This meta-analysis pooled data from 13 studies to quantify how much more often people with epilepsy think about, attempt, or complete suicide compared to those without epilepsy. The risk was roughly doubled for suicidal ideation, more than tripled for suicide attempts, and more than doubled for completed suicide. The findings call for systematic mental health screening and integrated psychiatric support in epilepsy care.

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Using four decades of Danish national registry data covering over 2.5 million people, this study found that men with epilepsy are far less likely to become parents than women with the condition — 46% of epileptic men remained childless by age 45 versus 31% of epileptic women, compared to 23% and 14% respectively in people without epilepsy. Having both epilepsy and a psychiatric condition was associated with the greatest reduction in likelihood of having children, and focal epilepsy carried lower odds than generalized epilepsy. The gap between men and women with epilepsy was not explained by these factors, signaling unknown biological or social mechanisms.

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This review addresses how to manage heavy or irregular uterine bleeding in women who are also at elevated risk for dangerous blood clots. It outlines six principles for selecting hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, using case examples to show how to weigh clot risk against bleeding control. Non-estrogen options like progestin-only formulations and the anti-clotting drug tranexamic acid are highlighted as safer choices in women with clotting risk factors.

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This study tested how accurately different combinations of diagnosis codes and prescription data from electronic health records can identify adult epilepsy patients. Ninety-four algorithms were evaluated against chart reviews, and the best-performing ones balanced sensitivity and specificity around 80-95% depending on the goal of the study. The results give researchers practical, validated code combinations to choose from depending on whether their priority is capturing every case or avoiding false positives.

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Researchers screened a chemical library looking for drugs that force AML cells to mature, and Azvudine — an antiviral approved in China for HIV — emerged as the most potent candidate. It works mainly by blocking telomerase reverse transcriptase, which shortens telomeres and triggers DNA damage signaling that culminates in cell maturation and death; it also raises mitochondrial stress that promotes apoptosis. The drug reproduced these effects in patient-derived AML samples carrying a range of mutations, including high-risk TP53 mutations, supporting its repositioning as an AML therapy.

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Using 12 years of U.S. national hospital data, this study tracked admission trends for eight major neurological conditions from 2003 to 2014. Admissions for nearly all conditions increased as a share of all hospitalizations, and by 2011 septicemia had risen to become a top reason for hospitalization across most of these groups — a shift from earlier years when the neurological condition itself was the primary reason. Many leading causes of admission were potentially preventable, pointing to infection control as a high-priority intervention.

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Protopine, a natural compound found in certain plants, was tested in AML cell lines to see whether it could induce differentiation and cell death. It raised reactive oxygen species in mitochondria, activated cell-cycle brake proteins p16 and p21, disrupted mitochondrial function, and shut down the AKT and ERK survival signals that leukemia cells depend on. These converging effects make protopine a candidate for differentiation-based AML treatment strategies.

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This multicenter study followed 19 patients with both autism and drug-resistant epilepsy who received the responsive neurostimulation (RNS) system, which detects and responds to abnormal brain activity in real time. Sixty-three percent experienced more than 50% seizure reduction, and 79% showed behavioral improvement on a standardized scale, with no surgical complications reported. The results support RNS as a viable surgical option for people with autism who cannot undergo traditional epilepsy surgery.

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This study evaluated whether TeamSTEPPS — a structured teamwork training program — improved attitudes about patient safety and reduced complication rates on a labor and delivery unit. Surveys before and six months after training showed no significant change in teamwork perceptions overall, and physicians and nurses differed notably in their views, with nurses reporting more negative perceptions after training. Objective obstetric complication rates were also unchanged, suggesting that a single training intervention without sustained reinforcement is unlikely to produce measurable improvements.

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This retrospective study examined 5,384 older adults (65 and up) hospitalized with COVID-19 at a large New York health system, comparing the 173 who had epilepsy to those without. After adjusting for age and other medical conditions, older adults with epilepsy were 55% more likely to die in hospital, more than three times as likely to not return home after discharge, and had hospital stays nearly 50% longer. The results identify epilepsy as an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes in the elderly.

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A cross-sectional survey of 55 adults with epilepsy at a multicenter New York health system assessed mental health, financial well-being, medication access, and seizure burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over half screened positive for depression and nearly a third for anxiety, with many reporting these as new symptoms since the pandemic began; 25% lost jobs and 40% reported worsened financial stress. Healthcare access was relatively preserved — most cancelled visits were converted to telehealth — but the findings point to ongoing need for psychosocial support in this population.

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This study used electronic health records from a large New York City health system to compare telehealth use between Medicaid patients with epilepsy seen in a segregated Medicaid-only clinic versus those integrated into a general faculty practice. Medicaid patients in the Medicaid-only setting were significantly less likely to use telehealth than either Medicaid patients in the integrated setting or non-Medicaid patients, a disparity that persisted after adjustment. Integration of Medicaid patients into standard care settings was associated with equalized telehealth access, suggesting structural segregation — not insurance type alone — drives the disparity.

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This cohort study described neurological and psychiatric complications among nearly 1,000 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across a large New York City health system in 2020-2021. Nearly 60% experienced some neuropsychiatric complication, with altered mental status being the most common; this complication was strongly linked to in-hospital death, which occurred in 22% of patients. Anticoagulation therapy was associated with lower odds of death and altered mental status, suggesting a protective role for blood thinners in COVID-19 patients with neurological complications.

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This meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials compared seizure incidence in over 63,000 COVID-19 vaccine recipients versus 54,000 placebo recipients. No statistically significant difference in new-onset seizures was found in the 28 days after injection or over the full blinded period of the trials. The results provide robust placebo-controlled evidence that COVID-19 vaccines do not cause new seizures in the general population.

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Researchers screened 100 Korean plant extracts for activity against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a common and often treatment-resistant blood cancer, and identified an extract from Aster pseudoglehnii (APKH) as the most potent candidate. APKH killed DLBCL cells by suppressing the MYC oncogene and disrupting the mitochondrial proteins that keep cancer cells alive, and it boosted the effectiveness of standard doxorubicin chemotherapy. Chemical profiling identified compounds in the extract likely responsible for these effects, supporting further study of APKH as an adjunct to CHOP chemotherapy.

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This study catalogued all 561 health research reporting standards in the EQUATOR repository to determine which ones apply to epilepsy surgery research. Of 181 applicable standards, only one was epilepsy-specific, and none required reporting of key epilepsy surgery details like duration of illness or MRI findings. The absence of epilepsy surgery-specific reporting standards limits the quality and comparability of the literature and calls for developing field-specific guidelines.

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This systematic review and meta-analysis examined how often people with epilepsy have two or more psychiatric conditions simultaneously — a concept called multipsychiatric comorbidity. Across 15 high-quality studies, people with epilepsy had significantly higher rates of co-occurring conditions, such as depression plus anxiety (9.2% vs. 2.4% in those without epilepsy) and depression plus ADHD (14.4% vs. 3.9%). Surprisingly few studies have directly measured this psychiatric stacking effect, representing a gap in understanding how multiple mental health conditions together affect epilepsy outcomes.

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Using 12 years of U.S. national inpatient data, this study compared hospital outcomes for patients with both autism and epilepsy against those with epilepsy alone. Patients with both conditions had higher in-hospital death rates, more transfers to other facilities, longer hospital stays, and higher rates of blood infections compared to matched patients with epilepsy only. The findings indicate that the combination of autism and epilepsy creates a distinct clinical profile requiring specialized, proactive hospital management.

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This meta-analysis pooled data from 40 studies — including seven in a formal meta-analysis — to determine whether COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of new-onset seizures. Across more than 26 million vaccine recipients compared to unvaccinated individuals, and across mRNA versus viral vector vaccines, there was no statistically significant difference in seizure risk in the 21-28 days after vaccination. People with epilepsy and their clinicians can be reassured that COVID-19 vaccines do not appear to raise the risk of first-time seizures.

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Analyzing insurance claims for nearly 15,000 adults newly diagnosed with epilepsy, this study found that patients prescribed medications that guidelines recommend against were significantly more likely to visit the emergency department or be hospitalized than those on recommended drugs. About 4% of patients received an explicitly discouraged medication as their first prescription, even though levetiracetam — a guideline-preferred option — accounted for over half of all first prescriptions. The findings reinforce that first medication choice matters for healthcare utilization even beyond direct seizure control.

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This systematic review and meta-analysis of 262 studies covering 21,261 patients with Parkinson's disease summarized complication rates after deep brain stimulation surgery. Device revision (4.9%) and infection (4.2%) were most common, while the symptomatic bleeding rate was 2.4%; importantly, using more than one microelectrode recording track during surgery significantly and non-linearly increased bleeding risk, though a single track did not. The data help surgeons weigh the benefits of precise electrode placement against the incremental hemorrhage risk of additional recording tracks.

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This Bayesian network meta-analysis compared nine advanced therapies for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis across 23 randomized trials to rank their efficacy and safety in both newly treated and previously treated patients. Upadacitinib ranked highest for inducing and maintaining clinical remission and endoscopic improvement, particularly in patients who had not previously received biologics. Safety profiles were broadly similar across drugs, with no advanced therapy showing a significant increase in serious infections compared to placebo.

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This five-center retrospective study examined whether the pattern of electrical activity at the start of a seizure — recorded with depth electrodes — could predict success after laser ablation of the hippocampus in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. Overall two-year seizure freedom was only 36%, but patients whose seizures started with low-voltage fast activity or low-frequency spiking had a 46% chance of freedom, while those with slower onset patterns had 0% — a highly significant difference. These findings support using seizure onset patterns to better select patients likely to benefit from this minimally invasive procedure.

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This retrospective cohort study examined whether older adults (50+) with newly diagnosed epilepsy who received a guideline-discouraged antiseizure medication were more likely to suffer injuries like falls or burns within a year. After adjusting for confounders, medication category was not significantly associated with injury, but taking multiple antiseizure medications simultaneously was — as was older age, prior injuries, and traumatic brain injury history. The results suggest that reducing polypharmacy may be a more actionable injury-prevention target than medication choice alone in older adults with epilepsy.

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Researchers screened 100 South Korean plant extracts and identified a branch extract from Ilex macropoda Miq. as the most potent killer of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cells while sparing normal bone marrow cells. The extract triggered leukemia cell death by disrupting mitochondrial function and reducing anti-apoptotic proteins, while also pushing cells toward a more mature state. It also restored sensitivity to glucocorticoids in resistant cells by increasing glucocorticoid receptor levels and suppressing key survival signaling pathways, making it a candidate for relapsed or refractory B-ALL.

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This retrospective cohort study compared COVID-19 outcomes in 334 patients with epilepsy versus over 9,000 without epilepsy across a New York City health system. People with epilepsy were more likely to need ventilators, be admitted to the ICU, and stay longer, but after adjusting for age and other health conditions, only longer hospital stays and higher rates of non-home discharge remained significantly elevated — not mortality. Older age, ventilator use, and higher overall disease burden were the main drivers of death in the epilepsy group.

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This study tested whether text mining (TM) software could help researchers screen citations more efficiently when conducting systematic reviews, without sacrificing accuracy. Five screening strategies using three TM tools were compared against a gold-standard double-review process, and TM-assisted methods matched or slightly exceeded the conventional approach while saving about 216 minutes per 500 citations. TM-assisted screening offers a practical time savings while maintaining the sensitivity needed to catch all relevant studies.

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This review covers radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids, which affect the majority of women and often cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and fertility problems. RFA uses heat to destroy fibroid tissue while preserving the uterus, and growing evidence shows it is safe and effective with low complication rates and promising fertility outcomes. It is now an established alternative to hysterectomy for women who want to keep their uterus or future fertility.

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Using 12 years of national inpatient data, this study compared complications and outcomes of epilepsy surgery — both vagus nerve stimulation and brain resection — in patients with autism and epilepsy versus patients with epilepsy alone. There were no significant differences in in-hospital death, discharge status, length of stay, costs, or surgical complications between the two groups. The findings counter common concerns about surgical risk in autism and support offering epilepsy surgery evaluation to eligible patients with both conditions.

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This systematic review pooled outcomes from 417 patients across 14 studies to evaluate occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) for trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, a group of severe, recurring headache disorders. Roughly 60% of patients with cluster headaches and similar conditions achieved more than 50% reduction in attack frequency, with average reductions in headache intensity, duration, and medication use. While about one-third required repeat surgery due to device complications, ONS represents a meaningful option for patients whose headaches do not respond to medication.

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This meta-analysis of 16 studies pooled data from over 3,000 people with epilepsy to assess seizure changes after COVID-19 vaccination. About 5% experienced increased seizure frequency after vaccination, with no significant difference between mRNA and viral vector vaccines, and the rate of life-threatening status epilepticus was only 0.08%. These rates are far lower than seizure risks from actual COVID-19 infection, reinforcing the recommendation that people with epilepsy get vaccinated.

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This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized survival and response outcomes for non-small cell lung cancers carrying a specific EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation, which does not respond well to standard EGFR-targeted drugs. Standard chemotherapy outperformed EGFR inhibitors and immunotherapy in first-line treatment (overall survival 18 months vs. much shorter with other options), but outcomes dropped sharply in later lines of therapy. Newly approved agents specifically targeting this mutation — mobocertinib and amivantamab — offer promise, underscoring the importance of genetic testing to identify these patients.

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This study made the unexpected discovery that medium collected from colorectal cancer cells in culture could kill AML cells by triggering both cell death and differentiation. Genome-wide gene expression analysis showed that the medium suppressed cancer survival pathways and upregulated maturation-promoting genes, suggesting it contains secreted molecules with anti-leukemic activity. Identifying and isolating those molecules could open a novel approach to AML treatment based on tumor-derived factors.

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An international panel of 61 epilepsy specialists from 28 countries used a three-round Delphi process to produce expert consensus on when to refer a patient with epilepsy for surgical evaluation. The main recommendation is that all patients with drug-resistant epilepsy up to age 70 should be offered a surgical evaluation as soon as drug resistance is established, regardless of epilepsy type, psychiatric history, or social factors. The panel found no evidence to support delaying referral and emphasized that early evaluation reduces the morbidity and mortality of uncontrolled seizures.

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This overview summarizes the well-documented relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy, including the bidirectional increased risk each condition poses for the other and the diagnostic challenges that arise when stereotyped behaviors mimic seizures. Progress has been made in identifying which antiseizure medications work best in this population, but gaps remain in understanding how to screen for ASD in epilepsy, how specific genetic mutations shape ASD presentation, and how seizure activity itself worsens or modulates ASD symptoms. The review calls for more research into these interconnections to improve care for a clinically complex population.

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This case report describes a 25-year-old woman who developed a small bowel hernia through a 12-mm laparoscopic incision site within 48 hours of surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. Prompt CT imaging by emergency physicians identified the hernia before bowel necrosis could occur, and emergency repair was successful. The case highlights that trocar site hernia is rare but time-sensitive and should be on the differential diagnosis for any patient presenting with abdominal pain after laparoscopic surgery.