Seizure Freedom: How Many Antiepileptic Drugs to Try?
For some people with epilepsy, seizure control comes with their first antiepileptic drug (AED). Others never succeed. A middle group eventually conquers their seizures with trials of 2, 3, or more AEDs. Outcomes vary depending on adherence to treatment, adverse events of medications, epilepsy syndrome, cause, seizure type, and other factors. Approximately 30% of patients do not achieve seizure remission with AED therapy. Focal seizures are the most common type in adults and are often difficult to control.
A new retrospective analysis offers some guidance on managing people with focal epilepsy. The authors reviewed a database containing records of 1155 adults with focal epilepsy from 2 epilepsy centers, the Carlo Besta Foundation Neurological Institute and San Paolo University Hospital, both in Milan, Italy. Patients were classified as either seizure-free or AED-resistant. They also graded patients on whether 1, 2, 3, or more AEDs had failed. Noncompliant patients, those who had epilepsy surgery, or those whose treatment was unchanged for particular reasons were excluded.
Seizure Freedom: Introduction
For some people with epilepsy, seizure control comes with their first antiepileptic drug (AED). Others never succeed. A middle group eventually conquers their seizures with trials of 2, 3, or more AEDs. Outcomes vary depending on adherence to treatment, adverse events of medications, epilepsy syndrome, cause, seizure type, and other factors. Approximately 30% of patients do not achieve seizure remission with AED therapy. Focal seizures are the most common type in adults and are often difficult to control.
Focal Epilepsies
A new retrospective analysis offers some guidance on managing people with focal epilepsy. The authors reviewed a database containing records of 1155 adults with focal epilepsy from 2 epilepsy centers, the Carlo Besta Foundation Neurological Institute and San Paolo University Hospital, both in Milan, Italy. Patients were classified as either seizure-free or AED-resistant. They also graded patients on whether 1, 2, 3, or more AEDs had failed. Noncompliant patients, those who had epilepsy surgery, or those whose treatment was unchanged for particular reasons were excluded.
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