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J Neurol (2011) 258:15551558 DOI 10.1007/s00415-011-5959-3
LETTER TO THE EDITORS
History of post-stroke epilepsy in ancient China
Yan Wang Yun-Cao Fan Cheng-Long Xie
Guo-Qing Zheng
Received: 12 November 2010 / Revised: 8 February 2011 / Accepted: 9 February 2011 / Published online: 24 February 2011 Springer-Verlag 2011
Dear Sirs,
Seizure and epilepsy are harmful and worsen the disability of stroke patients. In 1881, Hughlings Jackson [1, 2] rst noted that the phenomenon of seizure activity was related to stroke and he described partial seizure that occurred in the setting of embolic stroke. However, the phenomenon of epilepsy has been known for over 3,000 years, the earliest recorded account being in an Akkadian text called the Sakikku (written around 10671046 BC) [3]. Since then, several studies have been published that observed the association between stroke and the ensuing seizure and post-stroke epilepsy has become a well-recognized entity. However, it is unclear when this disease was rst observed and reported in ancient time. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long and rich history, and has existed for thousands of years. It is still being used today as a form of healthcare in both China and worldwide. About 2,000 years ago, Jinguiyaolue (Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber, SPGC) by Zhang Zhongjing (AD 152219) at the end of the Han Dynasty recorded the Tanjian (Paralysis and Epilepsy) under the chapter titled Zhongfeng (Apoplexy) which was treated by Fengyintang (Feng-yin Decoction, FYD) [4]. Thus, the relation between seizures and stroke was recognized in the third century in China. From then on, studies on post-stroke epilepsy and its therapy have extended over thousands of years in China until now. There is a wealth of information and studies in the Chinese literature. However, it is not readily accessible to western scientists because of language barriers. The aim
of this study is, therefore, to do historical research on post-stroke epilepsy in Chinese medical treatises, so as to ll a gap in our knowledge by providing a translated summary of related articles.
Since ancient times, stroke and epilepsy have been very common and serious neurological disorders in the world. Written in the late part of the Warring States Period (BC 476221), the earliest extant Chinese prescription book, Wushierbingfang (Prescriptions for Fifty-two Diseases),...