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Epilepsia partialis continua: Kozhevnikov and his German contemporaries

Epilepsia partialis continua: Kozhevnikov und seine deutschen Zeitgenossen

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Abstract

Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC), or focal motor status epilepticus, is a severe seizure presentation with poor response to conventional anti-seizure medication. The historical context of the initial case descriptions remains underappreciated, as English translations so far are only available for some of the contemporary sources, which were published in both German and Russian. Here, I translate the initial case report by Kozhevnikov and highlight that EPC was concurrently described by a German neurologist, Ludwig Bruns. This study elucidates the historical origins and later research directions of EPC from the perspective of modern epileptology.

Zusammenfassung

Die Epilepsia partialis continua (EPC), oder der fokal-motorische Status epilepticus, ist ein dramatisches Anfallsgeschehen, das auf herkömmliche anfallssuppressive Medikation im Regelfall nur schlecht anspricht. Der historische Kontext der ersten Fallbeschreibungen blieb lange Zeit unvollständig, da englische Übersetzungen nur für einige wenige der der zeitgenössischen Quellen verfügbar waren, die häufig sowohl in deutscher als auch in russischer Sprache veröffentlicht wurden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit bietet der Autor die erste englische Übersetzung des originalen Fallberichts von Kozhevnikov. Darüber hinaus wird demonstriert, dass die EPC als eigenständiges klinisches Syndrom zeitgleich von einem deutschen Neurologen, Ludwig Bruns, beschrieben wurde. Diese Studie beleuchtet die historischen Ursprünge und spätere Forschung im Bereich der EPC aus der Perspektive der modernen Epileptologie.

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Notes

  1. Translator’s note: More precisely: “Some abortive (…)”, i.e., semiology that does not proceed to loss of consciousness

  2. Translator’s note: Larvae of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, causing (neuro-)cysticercosis

  3. Translator’s note: Cerebral palsy

  4. Translator’s note: More literally, a feeling of crawling ants

  5. Translator’s note: Rare viral encephalitis caused by poliovirus, see [30]

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  1. Department of Neurology and Epileptology, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Christian M. Boßelmann

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C.M. Boßelmann declares that he has no competing interests.

For this article no studies with human participants or animals were performed by any of the authors. All studies mentioned were in accordance with the ethical standards indicated in each case.

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Boßelmann, C.M. Epilepsia partialis continua: Kozhevnikov and his German contemporaries. Clin Epileptol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10309-024-00689-2

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