Context van de vondst, behandeling en onderzoek De Sint-JanskerkDe Mechelse Sint-Janskerk is een van de talrijke laatgotische gebouwen die op diepgaand bouwhistorisch onderzoek wachten.In de 13de eeuw stond er reeds een kapel die tussen 1255 en 1272 parochiekerk werd.Daar vereerden de gelovigen Sint Jan de Doper als beschermer van het vee.Later werd zij de kapel van de volders en de wolwevers.De oudst gekende pastoor wordt vermeld in 1305 als Dominus Johannes.In de 15de eeuw werd de kerk vergroot, en ingewijd in 1483 door Hendrik de Berghes, bisschop van Kamerijk4.Recente onderzoeken over de bouwgeschiedenis zijn niet gepubliceerd5.Een belangrijke aanzet werd weliswaar gegeven tijdens de voorbereiding van het lopende restauratiedossier maar de resultaten van deze studies zijn nog niet beschikbaar6.De materiële vondst van de schilderingen, het onderzoek in situ, de studie van het gebinte en het in 2011 uitgevoerde dendrochronologisch onderzoek nopen echter hoe dan ook tot een herziening van de bouwgeschiedenis.Zo werd de toren tot nog toe in de 15de eeuw gedateerd, omdat hij in 1443 met een schaliedak werd afgedekt en men hem in 1482 bekroonde met een spits die afkomstig was van de oude Sint-Romboutstoren7. De nieuwe kunsthistorische datering en situering ca.1400 stuitten daarom aanvankelijk op ongeloof.Het visueel onderzoek van de steenbekapping8 bevestigde echter de vroege bouwdatum van de toren.In een afzonderlijke bijdrage hierna (dit volume) lichten Vincent Debonne en Dieter Nuytten hun nieuwe bevindingen toe omtrent de bouwgeschiedenis van de Sint-Janskerk.De kerk was tot nog toe vooral beroemd omwille van het drieluik met de Aanbidding der wijzen dat Pieter Paul Rubens in 1617 leverde voor het hoofdaltaar9.In 1869 heette het nog: "St.Jean, near the Cathedral, is an insignificant church, remarkable only for a picture by Rubens, who considered it one of his best works"10.Sinds de vondst en de conservering van de schilderingen in de toren heeft de kerk er alleszins een kostbare bezienswaardigheid bij.

The discovery in Saint John’s church in Mechelen of the wall paintings dating from around 1400 was remarkable in more than one way. The uncovering and restoration of this well-preserved ensemble led to a thorough study of material and techniques from this era on which there had been only little research until now. The artistic quality of these two major paintings of Saint Christopher and Saint George with dragon reveal the hand of a painter experienced in monumental compositions.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the diagnostic efficacy and therapeutic relevance of video-EEG monitoring in an large patient population with long-term follow-up.PATIENTS AND METHODSBetween October 1990 and May 1997, 400 patients were monitored at the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) of the University Hospital in Gent. In all patients, the following parameters were retrospectively examined: reason for referral, tentative diagnosis, prescribed antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), seizure frequency, number of admission days, number of recorded seizures, ictal and interictal EEG, clinical and electroencephalographic diagnosis following the monitoring session. During follow-up visits at the Epilepsy Clinic, we prospectively collected data on different types of treatment and post-monitoring seizure control.RESULTS255/400 (64%) patients were referred for refractory epilepsy. 145/400 (36%) patients were evaluated for attacks of uncertain origin. Mean follow-up, available in 225 patients, was 28 months (range: 6-80 months). Mean duration of a single monitoring session was 4 days (range: 2-7 days). Prolonged interictal EEG was recorded in all patients and ictal EEG in 258 (65%) patients. Following the monitoring session, the diagnosis of epilepsy was confirmed in 217 patients. Pseudoseizures were diagnosed in 31 patients (8%). AEDs were started in 19 patients, stopped in 6 and left unchanged in 110. The type and/or number of AEDs was changed in 111 patients. Sixty patients underwent epilepsy surgery. In 48 surgery patients, follow-up data were available, 29 of whom became seizure-free, and 16 of whom experienced a greater than 90% seizure reduction. Vagus nerve stimulation was performed in 11 patients, 2 became seizure-free, and 7 improved markedly. Of the non-invasively treated patients in whom follow-up was available (n = 135), 70 became seizure-free or experienced a greater than 50% reduction in seizure frequency; 51 patients experienced no change in seizure frequency. Outcome was unrelated to the availability of ictal video-EEG recording. In patients with complex partial seizures, seizure control was significantly improved when a well-defined ictal onset zone could be defined during video-EEG monitoring.CONCLUSIONProlonged interictal EEG monitoring is mandatory in the successful management of patients with refractory epilepsy. Ictal video-EEG monitoring is very helpful but not indispensable, except in patients enrolled for presurgical evaluation or suspected of having pseudoseizures.

During restoration work on the gothic Church of St John in Mechelen, traces of wall paintings were found behind the eighteenth-century organ. Two monumental portrayals were discovered, together with architectural polychromy and painted stone consoles. The paintings, which represent St Christopher carrying the Christ Child and St George with the dragon, date back to 1400 and show great artistic quality. They are unique testimony to the painting tradition before Jan van Eyck. During conservation work, analyses of the painting technique and the materials were made. The historical and art-historical examination of the paintings aims to place them in the historical context of ducal Burgundy and the artistic milieu of around 1400 in the Low Countries.