Choice Of Antiepileptic Drugs Research Articles

Evaluating the prescription pattern of newly diagnosed epilepsy patients in India - a real-world observational study

Background: To determine the demographic details and management choices of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) for the newly diagnosed epilepsy patients in India.Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study conducted among newly diagnosed epilepsy patients in India between Apr 2021 and Mar 2022. The demographic parameters, treatment given, adherence to treatment, and clinician’s global assessment for effectiveness and safety of management options were evaluated.Results: Out of 20,343 patients, majority of the patients were aged between 31-50 years (54.5%), and 62.7% of them were males. Majority of the patients were diagnosed with focal epilepsy (72.2%). Migraine was the most common (28.3%) neuropsychiatric comorbidity among these patients followed by anxiety (19.7%), stroke (18.5%) and depression (11.2%); other commonly reported comorbidities were hypertension (38.27%), gastrointestinal disorders (25.39%), and diabetes (22.06%). Levetiracetam (49.6%) was the most commonly prescribed AED, followed by valproate (29.1%), oxcarbazepine (15.5%), clobazam (13.3%) and lacosamide (8%). With the prescribed AEDs, majority (91%) of the patients had decrease in seizure frequency, most (99.2%) patients had ‘good to excellent’ adherence to the therapy, and clinicians rated the efficacy and safety of prescribed drugs as ‘good to excellent’ in most (99.9%) patients.Conclusions: Epilepsy was common in patients aged 30-50 years with male preponderance. Focal epilepsy was more prevalent. Overall levetiracetam was the most prescribed AED. Levetiracetam and valproate were the most prescribed AEDs among focal and generalized epilepsy respectively. AEDs were well tolerated by most of the patients.

Levetiracetam for Status Epilepticus in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurologic emergency with potential for substantial mortality and morbidity. Parenteral benzodiazepine is the established first-line treatment but fails to control SE in about one-third of patients. Levetiracetam may be used for SE that is refractory to benzodiazepine therapy. To examine, by means of a systematic review, the role of IV levetiracetam for the treatment of SE in adults. MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases were searched, from inception to August 18, 2020. Included in this review were prospective randomized controlled trials comparing levetiracetam with another antiepileptic drug, given with or after a benzodiazepine, in adult patients with SE. The primary outcome was cessation of SE. Quality of evidence was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Characteristics of the included studies were reported using descriptive statistics. Five studies compared IV levetiracetam with valproic acid, phenytoin (or its prodrug fosphenytoin), or both. All 5 studies found no statistically significant differences in efficacy or safety end points. There were numerically more cases of hypotension and respiratory failure with phenytoin, and more cases of psychiatric adverse effects (e.g., post-ictal psychosis) with levetiracetam. Available evidence suggests that levetiracetam is as effective as valproic acid or phenytoin for the cessation of SE in adults. Other factors should therefore dictate the choice of antiepileptic drug for patients with SE, such as adverse effect profile, logistics of administration, drug cost, inclusion on hospital formularies, and drug availability.

Features of pregnancy management in epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that manifests itself in the body's predisposition to the sudden onset of seizures. The incidence of a combination of epilepsy and pregnancy in the general population does not exceed 1%. The features of the course of this disease against the background of pregnancy, the requirements for the choice of antiepileptic drugs during gestation and their possible effect on the fetus are presented in the article.

Compliance with status epilepticus management protocol and effect on clinical outcomes in children with status epilepticus

BackgroundGuidelines for the management of status epilepticus (SE) aid in rationalising the treatment for a better clinical outcome; however, published literature regarding the use of antiepileptics and compliance is limited,...

Post-stroke epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in men and women.

Evidence-based recommendations for choice of antiepileptic drug (AED) in post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) are lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the use and persistence of AEDs when initiating treatment in men and women with PSE. An observational study based on individual-level patient data from a regional healthcare register in Stockholm, Sweden, was conducted. Adults (≥18years) with a stroke diagnosis 2012-2016, a dispensed prescription of any AED within two years after the stroke, and with an epilepsy-related diagnosis were identified. Multinomial logistic regression and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with choice of AED and discontinuation within 90days, respectively. Of 9652 men and 9844 women with a stroke diagnosis, 287 men and 273 women had PSE and were dispensed AED. More than 60% of both men and women with PSE were treated with levetiracetam. Carbamazepine was the second most common drug followed by lamotrigine and valproic acid. There were significant differences in AED choice depending on for instance sex, age and renal impairment. Levetiracetam had the highest persistence in both men and women. Choice of AED, oral anticoagulant use and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) showed an association with the persistence to therapy. We conclude that in both men and women with PSE, levetiracetam was the most used AED for initiation of treatment and also had the highest persistence.

Increased levels of α4-containing GABAA receptors in focal cortical dysplasia: A possible cause of benzodiazepine resistance

Benzodiazepines are the first choice of anti-epileptic drugs used to treat seizures. However, it has been seen that their efficacy decreases with time leading to drug insensitivity, plausibly caused by an alteration in the expression of the benzodiazepine biding site on GABAA receptors. This study was designed to investigate if the differential expression of GABAA receptor subunits α1/α4/γ2/δ across the postsynaptic sites could contribute to benzodiazepine resistance in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), the most common cause of drug resistant epilepsy in pediatric population. Differential gene and cellular expression of GABAA receptor subunits α1, α4, γ2 and δ were evaluated and validated using qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Whole cell patch clamp studies were performed on pyramidal neurons of resected cortical FCD samples to measure the spontaneous GABAA receptor activity. Upregulation of α4-and γ2-subunits containing GABAA receptors were observed at both mRNA and protein level. α1-and δ-subunits containing GABAA receptors did not show any significant changes. Flumazenil treatment did not affect the kinetics of GABAergic events in FCD; however, it significantly reduced the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous GABAergic activity in non-seizure control samples. Our results demonstrate the enhanced expression of α4-containing GABAA receptors and GABAergic activity in pyramidal neurons which in turn may contribute to benzodiazepine resistance in FCD patients.

Ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine for absence seizures in children and adolescents.

This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review previously published in 2019. Absence seizures (AS) are brief epileptic seizures which present in childhood and adolescence. Depending on clinical features and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings they are divided into typical, atypical absences, and absences with special features. Typical absences are characterised by sudden loss of awareness and an EEG typically shows generalised spike wave discharges at three cycles per second. Ethosuximide, valproate and lamotrigine are currently used to treat absence seizures. This review aims to determine the best choice of antiepileptic drug for children and adolescents with AS. To review the evidence for the effects of ethosuximide, valproate and lamotrigine as treatments for children and adolescents with absence seizures (AS), when compared with placebo or each other. For the latest update we searched the Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS Web, 22 September 2020) and MEDLINE (Ovid, 1946 to September 21, 2020). CRS Web includes randomised or quasi-randomised, controlled trials from PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the Specialized Registers of Cochrane Review Groups including Epilepsy. No language restrictions were imposed. In addition, we contacted Sanofi Winthrop, Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline) and Parke Davis (now Pfizer), manufacturers of sodium valproate, lamotrigine and ethosuximide respectively. Randomised parallel group monotherapy or add-on trials which include a comparison of any of the following in children or adolescents with AS: ethosuximide, sodium valproate, lamotrigine, or placebo. Outcome measures were: 1. proportion of individuals seizure free at one, three, six, 12 and 18 months post randomisation; 2. individuals with a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency; 3. normalisation of EEG and/or negative hyperventilation test; and 4. adverse effects. Data were independently extracted by two review authors. Results are presented as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We used GRADE quality assessment criteria to evaluate the certainty of evidence for the outcomes derived from all included studies. On the basis of our selection criteria, we included no new studies in the present review. Eight small trials (total number of participants: 691) were included from the earlier review. Six of them were of poor methodological quality (unclear or high risk of bias) and seven recruited less than 50 participants. There are no placebo-controlled trials for ethosuximide or valproate, and hence, no evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to support a specific effect on AS for either of these two drugs. Due to the differing methodologies used in the trials comparing ethosuximide, lamotrigine and valproate, we thought it inappropriate to undertake a meta-analysis. One large randomised, parallel double-blind controlled trial comparing ethosuximide, lamotrigine and sodium valproate in 453 children with newly diagnosed childhood absence epilepsy found that at 12 months, seizure freedom was higher in patients taking ethosuximide (70/154, 45%) than in patients taking lamotrigine (31/146, 21%; P < 0.001), with no difference between valproate (64/146, 44%) and ethosuximide (70/154, 45%; P > 0.05). In this study, the frequency of treatment failures due to intolerable adverse events was significantly different among the treatment groups, with the largest proportion of adverse events in the valproic acid group (48/146, 33%) compared to the ethosuximide (38/154, 25%) and the lamotrigine (29/146, 20%) groups (P < 0.037). Overall, this large study demonstrates the superior effectiveness of ethosuximide and valproic acid compared to lamotrigine as initial monotherapy aimed to control seizures without intolerable adverse effects in children with childhood absence epilepsy. This study provided high certainty of the evidence for outcomes for which data were available. However, the certainty of the evidence provided by the other included studies was low, primarily due to risk of bias and imprecise results because of the small sample sizes. Hence, conclusions regarding the efficacy of ethosuximide, valproic acid and lamotrigine derive mostly from this single study. Since the last version of this review was published, we have found no new studies. Hence, the conclusions remain the same as the previous update. With regards to both efficacy and tolerability, ethosuximide represents the optimal initial empirical monotherapy for children and adolescents with AS. However, if absence and generalised tonic-clonic seizures coexist, valproate should be preferred, as ethosuximide is probably inefficacious on tonic-clonic seizures.

Super-refractory status epilepticus and pharmacoresistant epilepsy in an infant with hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome

Introduction. Hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome (HSES) is a rare disorder with prevalence at an early age. The main features of HSES are acute diarrhea, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multisystem impairment, and encephalopathy. The prognosis is very poor, with high mortality, especially in cases with status epilepticus. Case outline. The presented infant had typical features of HSES associated with super-refractory status epilepticus as de novo epileptic event, followed by pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Clinical course of the disease was very severe and required urgent circulatory and respiratory support, and simultaneous management of super-refractory status epilepticus by continuous intravenous infusion of midazolam, barbiturate, and levetiracetam. The outcome was very poor with serious neurological consequence and resistant epileptic seizures. Conclusion. The treatment of the presented patient with HSES was very challenging due to a lifethreatening condition associated with super-refractory status epilepticus, and further pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Additionally, the choice of antiepileptic drugs is limited due to multisystem impairment and adverse effects which might worsen the already severe course of the disease.

Antiepileptic Drug Therapy for Status Epilepticus.

Status epilepticus (SE) is one of the most serious neurologic emergencies. SE is a condition that encompasses a broad range of semiologic subtypes and heterogeneous etiologies. The treatment of SE primarily involves the management of the underlying etiology and the use of antiepileptic drug therapy to rapidly terminate seizure activities. The Drug Committee of the Korean Epilepsy Society performed a review of existing guidelines and literature with the aim of providing practical recommendations for antiepileptic drug therapy. This article is one of a series of review articles by the Drug Committee and it summarizes staged antiepileptic drug therapy for SE. While evidence of good quality supports the use of benzodiazepines as the first-line treatment of SE, such evidence informing the administration of second- or third-line treatments is lacking; hence, the recommendations presented herein concerning the treatment of established and refractory SE are based on case series and expert opinions. The choice of antiepileptic drugs in each stage should consider the characteristics and circumstances of each patient, as well as their estimated benefit and risk to them. In tandem with the antiepileptic drug therapy, careful searching for and treatment of the underlying etiology are required.

Carbamazepine versus levetiracetam in epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis.

The choice of antiepileptic drug (AED) in newly diagnosed neurocysticercosis (NCC) patients with epilepsy continues to be arbitrary. We compared efficacy and side effect profile of levetiracetam (LEV) and carbamazepine (CBZ) for the treatment of seizures in newly diagnosed patients with NCC. This was an open-labeled randomized comparative monotherapy study including newly diagnosed drug naïve patients of NCC (n=99) presenting with seizures who were randomized in 1:1 ratio using computed generated numbers. All patients were followed up for at least six months after start of treatment. The primary outcome measure was seizure control over six months following start of AEDs. Fifteen (15.2%) patients [CBZ- 4(8.2%); LEV- 11(22%)] developed recurrence of seizures. A trend (p=0.09) was found toward better control of seizures in CBZ compared to LEV. Two (4%) patients in LEV group and 17 (34.6%) patients in CBZ group developed drug-related minor side effects (p<0.0001). Three patients in CBZ group needed discontinuation of therapy due to skin rash. Eleven patients who relapsed while on LEV did not have any recurrence of seizures after switching over to CBZ. Out of 3 patients who relapsed while receiving CBZ and were changed to LEV, two developed seizures during follow-up. CBZ and LEV could be used as alternatives in newly diagnosed patients of NCC at the behest of minor side effects in the CBZ group.

Various Aspects of Epilepsy Diagnosis and Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly and globally spreading novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The purpose of this review is to summarize the available data about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with epilepsy, epilepsy diagnosis and treatment and focus attention on the consensus measures about their optimization. We have presented the different aspects of associations between epilepsy and COVID-19 - medical history of epilepsy and COVID-19, seizures and/or status epilepticus and COVID-19. Neurologists and patients with epilepsy face a variety of challenges in the process of disease management - challenges related to precaution measures, worsening of seizure control, performance and interpretation of diagnostic procedures, choice of antiepileptic drugs and antiviral agents due to drug-drug interactions, adverse events, reduced supplies, as well as challenges associated with increased level of emotional stress and uncertainty and worse levels of physical fitness. They require adequate coping strategies regarding COVID-19 prevention, good seizure control maintenance, delay of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures when possible, correct EEG performance and interpretation, minimizing the risk of adverse drug-drug interactions, providing telemedicine services, purchase of the prescribed antiepileptic drugs for a longer period of time, maintaining mental health and physical fitness lifestyle, spreading of correct information through reliable sources. Conclusion: The variety of diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for patients with epilepsy and caring neurologists during COVID-19 pandemic require timely, adequate and multi-aspect coping strategies, as well as individual approach to every patient to prevent complications.

Levetiracetam vs. Fosphenytoin for Second-Line Treatment of Status Epilepticus: Propensity Score Matching Analysis Using a Nationwide Inpatient Database.

Objective: Status epilepticus is a major emergency condition. The choice of antiepileptic drugs for second-line treatment after benzodiazepine remains controversial, including levetiracetam vs. fosphenytoin. We compare the safety of intravenous levetiracetam and fosphenytoin as a second-line treatment in patients with status epilepticus using a nationwide database.Methods: An observational study conducted with the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database identified adult patients who had been admitted for status epilepticus and who had received intravenous diazepam on the day of admission from March 1, 2011 to March 31, 2018. Patients who received intravenous levetiracetam on the day of admission were defined as the levetiracetam group and those who received intravenous fosphenytoin on the day of admission were defined as the fosphenytoin group. Propensity score matching was performed to compare outcomes obtained for the levetiracetam and fosphenytoin groups.Results: The analysis examined data of 5,667 patients. Overall, 1,403 (25%) patients received levetiracetam; 4,264 (75%) received fosphenytoin. One-to-one propensity score matching created 1,363 matched pairs. No significant difference was found in in-hospital mortality (5.2 vs. 5.1%; odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.73–1.46). The proportion of vasopressor use on the day of admission was significantly lower for the levetiracetam group than for the fosphenytoin group (3.2 vs. 4.9%; odds ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.92). No significant difference was found in other secondary outcomes including total hospitalization cost.Conclusion: Levetiracetam was related to significantly reduced vasopressor use on the day of admission than that found for fosphenytoin, in adult status epilepticus.

Polygonogram and isobolographic analysis of interactions between various novel antiepileptic drugs in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in mice.

Pharmacotherapy with two antiepileptic drugs in combination is usually prescribed to epilepsy patients with refractory seizures. The choice of antiepileptic drugs in combination should be based on synergistic cooperation of the drugs with respect to suppression of seizures. The selection of synergistic interactions between antiepileptic drugs is challenging issue for physicians, especially, if 25 antiepileptic drugs are currently available and approved to treat epilepsy patients. The aim of this study was to determine all possible interactions among 5 second-generation antiepileptic drugs (gabapentin (GBP), lacosamide (LCM), levetiracetam (LEV), pregabalin (PGB) and retigabine (RTG)) in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in adult male albino Swiss mice. The anticonvulsant effects of 10 various two-drug combinations of antiepileptic drugs were evaluated with type I isobolographic analysis associated with graphical presentation of polygonogram to visualize the types of interactions. Isobolographic analysis revealed that 7 two-drug combinations of LEV+RTG, LEV+LCM, GBP+RTG, PGB+LEV, GBP+LEV, PGB+RTG, PGB+LCM were synergistic in the 6-Hz corneal stimulation-induced seizure model in mice. The additive interaction was observed for the combinations of GBP+LCM, GBP+PGB, and RTG+LCM in this seizure model in mice. The most beneficial combination, offering the highest level of synergistic suppression of seizures in mice was that of LEV+RTG, whereas the most additive combination that protected the animals from seizures was that reporting additivity for RTG+LCM. The strength of interaction for two-drug combinations can be arranged from the synergistic to the additive, as follows: LEV+RTG > LEV+LCM > GBP+RTG > PGB+LEV > GBP+LEV > PGB+RTG > PGB+LCM > GBP+LCM > GBP+PGB > RTG+LCM.

Phenytoin versus fosphenytoin for second-line treatment of status epilepticus: propensity score matching analysis using a nationwide inpatient database

PurposeFor status epilepticus, the choice of antiepileptic drugs for second-line treatment after benzodiazepine remains controversial: phenytoin or fosphenytoin are recommended, however, it has been unknown which is better. Using a nationwide database, we compared the efficacy and safety of them. MethodAn observational study conducted with the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database identified adult patients who had been admitted for status epilepticus and who had received intravenous diazepam on the day of admission from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015. Propensity score matching was applied to compare outcomes of the phenytoin and fosphenytoin groups. ResultsThe analysis examined data of 5265 patients: 2969 patients received phenytoin; 2296 received fosphenytoin, on the day of admission. One-to-one propensity score matching created 1871 matched pairs. No significant difference was found for vasopressor use on the day of admission (4.2 % vs. 4.4 %; odds ratio 1.07; 95 % confidence intervals 0.77–1.48; p = 0.69), or for mechanical ventilation on the day of admission, in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, or total hospitalization cost. Higher age, comorbidity of cardiac diseases and lower body mass index were associated significantly with increased vasopressor use, whereas the dose of phenytoin equivalents and the choice of fosphenytoin were not. ConclusionsThis nationwide observational study found no evidence that fosphenytoin provides higher efficacy or safety than phenytoin for treatment of status epilepticus in adults after diazepam. Age, cardiac disease and low body mass index were identified as independent risk factors for vasopressor use in both phenytoin and fosphenytoin.

Impact of anti-epileptic drug choice on discharge in acute traumatic brain injury patients

BackgroundAnti-epileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis in the first-seven days post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to reduce seizure frequency acutely. AED efficacy is equivalent; therefore, choice of AED may rest with their side-effects. We hypothesise that AEDs that impair balance will prolong recovery, shown by a longer hospital stay. We compared length of hospital stay (and reported dizziness) in TBI patients receiving the commonest AEDs used in our TBI patients, Phenytoin (which may cause imbalance), and Levetiracetam (which does not affect balance).MethodA retrospective observational study was performed on TBI patients admitted to a Major Trauma Unit between October 2013 and June 2018. 100 of 278 patients treated with phenytoin or levetiracetam monotherapy for seizure prophylaxis were included. The inclusion criteria of admission Glasgow Coma Score of 14 or more and length of stay less than 3 weeks minimised confounding variables such as non-ambulant patients. Length of hospital stay and incidence of dizziness were assessed.ResultsThe length of hospital stay was longer for patients on Phenytoin versus Levetiracetam, i.e., 10.74 vs. 7.58 days (p = 0.015; unpaired, two-sided t test). Dizziness reported by patients on phenytoin was 24% and levetiracetam was 8% (p = 0.018; Chi-squared test).ConclusionIn this cohort, using Phenytoin for acute TBI, seizure prophylaxis was associated with longer length of stay and more dizziness compared to Levetiracetam. Given their equivalent AED efficacy in acute TBI seizure prophylaxis, our data suggest that Levetiracetam is preferable to Phenytoin for early seizure prophylaxis in TBI. This requires evaluation in larger, prospective studies.

Treatment decisions in women of childbearing age on valproate.

There are little data on the understanding and participation of women of childbearing age in decisions about their choice of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Valproate carries a risk of major congenital malformations, developmental and behavioural delay. For some, valproate is the only medication to prevent potentially life-threatening seizures. This was a cross-sectional study of two groups of women of childbearing age; 50 taking valproate and 50 controls. Each patient completed a patient questionnaire and structured telephone interview assessing understanding of the risks and benefits of AEDs in relation to pregnancy. Analysis used unpaired two-tailed t test and chi-squared test, with Bonferroni correction. Follow-up at 12months showed that 8% of the women taking valproate had switched to other medication. Hundred patients participated in the study, 89 on AEDs for epilepsy, 4 for migraine, and 7 for both. 55% of participants stated they were not involved in decision-making. More patients in the valproate group were informed about (64% vs 42%, P<.005), and expressed understanding of (64%vs 32%, P<.001), the risks involved with treatment. 59% of all patients wanted more information. The minority of women surveyed took folic acid (37%) or used contraceptives (29%). Valproate was used following failure of other AEDs to control seizures in 80%. This in-depth survey suggests more information is needed for women taking AEDs, using a range of formats. Women taking valproate are better informed than those on levetiracetam or lamotrigine. Information provision on the use of folic acid and contraception needs improvement.

Statistical analysis of medical time series

Statistical analysis of data sets is a necessary component of any medical research. Modern methods of mathematical statistics and statistical application suites provide extensive capabilities for analysis of random values. However, when a data set is represented by a series of data ordered by time, or when structure and order of data are essential components of research, special approaches to statistical analysis become necessary.Presented in this article are special statistical methods developed by the authors for analysis of a time series: Time Series Mann-Whitney M-test is an analogue of the known nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test for two Time Series with an equal number of elements; Nominal Time Series Measure is a statistical estimator of dynamics of a nominal series consisting of «0» (no) and «1» (yes); Time Series Entropy EnRE is a specially developed robust formula for a Time Series, intended for calculation of nonlinear stochastic measure of order or disorder, popular in various researches. Presented methods are accompanied by a detailed demonstration of capacity for statistical analysis of medical Time Series: Analysis of growth dynamics of boys and girls aged 6–7–8 years (data by World Health Organization); analysis of the number of seizures and choice of anti-epileptic drugs (data by The National Society for Epilepsy); Time series entropy EnRE for Detecting Congestive Heart Failure by standard 5-minutesHeart Rate Variability samples (data by Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital RR database). It has been noted that, in every case, using the named special methods for statistical analysis of medical Time Series allows one to avoid errors in interpreting results received through statistical methods and substantially increases the accuracy of statistical analysis of medical Time Series

Antiepileptic Drug Selection According to Seizure Type in Adult Patients with Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that is mainly treated using antiepileptic drugs. Several antiepileptic drugs such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, and ethosuximide were developed in the early 20th century. More than 10 types of antiepileptic drugs have been developed since the 1990s, and there are now more than 20 antiepileptic drugs in active clinical use. The choice of antiepileptic drugs is based on the clinical features of the seizure types, electroencephalogram findings, epileptic syndrome, and drug stability. Currently there are 19 antiepileptic drugs approved by the Korean Food and Drug Administration, 18 of which (with the exclusion of brivaracetam) are covered by the National Health Insurance Service in Korea. We reviewed the selection of antiepileptic drugs according to the classification of epileptic seizures.

Genetic and phenotypic characteristics of SCN1A-related epilepsy in Chinese children.

SCN1A gene mutations are associated with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to explore the genotype and phenotype spectrum of SCN1A gene related epilepsy. Epileptic patients who were treated in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2015 to July 2018 and identified as having SCN1A mutations by targeted next-generation sequencing were included. Clinical manifestations of all patients were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 24 patients with SCN1A mutations were identified. The age of epilepsy onset ranged from 2 months to 2 years and 9 months. Multiple seizure types were observed. A total of 13 (54.2%) patients had three or more types of seizures. Overall, 16 (66.7%) patients had status epilepticus, 11 (45.8%) patients had fever sensitivity, and nine (37.5%) patients had seizures after vaccination. Moreover, 15 (62.5%) patients showed varying degrees of cognitive and motor development retardation. In addition, two patients had mutations inherited from one of their parents and 22 (91.7%) patients had de novo mutations. The following SCN1A mutation types were identified: missense (16 patients, 66.7%), nonsense (four patients, 16.7%), splice site (one patient), frameshift (one patient), and large deletions (two patients). Overall, 23 of the patients received antiepileptic therapy, of which eight (33.3%) patients had no decrease in seizures and 11 (45.8%) patients had more than 50% decrease in seizure frequency. Three patients had poor response to antiepileptic drug therapy before attempting ketogenic diet, after which seizure frequency decreased by 50%. A total of 10 (41.7%) patients had used sodium channel blockers before accurate diagnosis, all of whom showed ineffective or even aggravated seizure response. SCN1A mutations are associated with a spectrum of seizure-related disorders, ranging from a relatively mild form of febrile seizures to a more severe epileptic encephalopathy known as Dravet syndrome. Early diagnosis of SCN1A mutation-associated epilepsy can aid in appropriate choice of antiepileptic drugs for treatment and reducing adverse sequelae.

Etiology of neonatal seizures and maintenance therapy use: a 10-year retrospective study at Toulouse Children\u2019s hospital

BackgroundNo guidelines exist concerning the maintenance antiepileptic drug to use after neonatal seizures. Practices vary from one hospital to another. The aim of this study was to investigate etiologies and to report on the use of maintenance antiepileptic therapy in our population of full-term neonates presenting neonatal seizures.MethodsFrom January 2004 to October 2014, we retrospectively collected data from all full-term neonates with neonatal seizures admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Toulouse, France.ResultsTwo hundred and forty-three neonates were included (59% males, 48% electroencephalographic confirmation). The frequencies of etiologies of neonatal seizures were: hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (n = 91; 37%), ischemic infarction (n = 36; 15%), intracranial hemorrhage (n = 29; 12%), intracranial infection (n = 19; 8%), metabolic or electrolyte disorders (n = 9; 3%), inborn errors of metabolism (n = 5; 2%), congenital malformations of the central nervous system (n = 11; 5%), epileptic syndromes (n = 27; 12%) and unknown (n = 16; 7%). A maintenance therapy was prescribed in 180 (72%) newborns: valproic acid (n = 123), carbamazepine (n = 28), levetiracetam (n = 17), vigabatrin (n = 2), and phenobarbital (n = 4). In our cohort, the choice of antiepileptic drug depended mainly on etiology. The average duration of treatment was six months.ConclusionsIn our cohort, valproic acid was the most frequently prescribed maintenance antiepileptic therapy. However, the arrival on the market of new antiepileptic drugs and a better understanding of the physiopathology of genetic encephalopathies is changing our practice.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered. Patient data were reported to the “Commission Nationale Informatique et Libertés” under the number 2106953.