Antiepileptic drug monotherapy for epilepsy: a network meta-analysis of individual participant data
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review published in 2017. Epilepsy is a common neurological condition with a worldwide prevalence of around 1%. Approximately 60% to 70% of people with epilepsy will achieve a longer‐term remission from seizures, and most achieve that remission shortly after starting antiepileptic drug treatment. Most […]
Pregabalin add‐on for drug‐resistant focal epilepsy
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review last published in Issue 7, 2019; it includes two additional studies. Epilepsy is a common neurological disease that affects approximately 1% of the UK population. Approximately one‐third of these people continue to have seizures despite drug treatment. Pregabalin is one of the newer antiepileptic […]
Brivaracetam add‐on therapy for drug‐resistant epilepsy
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review previously published in 2019. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. It is estimated that up to 30% of individuals with epilepsy continue to have epileptic seizures despite treatment with an antiepileptic drug. These patients are classified as drug‐resistant and require treatment […]
Clonazepam monotherapy for treating people with newly diagnosed epilepsy
Abstract Background Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide, with an age‐adjusted prevalence of 4 to 8 per 1000 population and an age‐adjusted incidence of 44 per 100,000 person‐years in developed countries. Monotherapy represents the best therapeutic option in people with newly diagnosed epilepsy. This is an updated version of the original […]
Rapid versus slow withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs
Abstract Background The ideal objective of treating a person with epilepsy is to induce remission (free of seizures for some time) using antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and withdraw the AEDs without causing seizure recurrence. Prolonged usage of AEDs may have long‐term adverse effects. Hence, when a person with epilepsy is in remission, it is logical to […]
Topiramate monotherapy for juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Abstract Background Topiramate is a newer broad‐spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED). Some studies have shown the benefits of topiramate in the treatment of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). However, there are no current systematic reviews to determine the efficacy and tolerability of topiramate in people with JME. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published […]
Anti‐seizure medications for Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome
Abstract Background Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is an age‐specific epilepsy syndrome characterised by multiple seizure types, including drop seizures. LGS has a characteristic electroencephalogram, an onset before age eight years and an association with drug resistance. This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review published in 2013. Objectives To assess the efficacy and tolerability of […]
Rufinamide add‐on therapy for drug‐resistant epilepsy
Abstract Background Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder (neurological disorder). Epileptic seizures are the result of excessive and abnormal cortical nerve cell electrical activity in the brain. Despite the development of more than 10 new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) since the early 2000s, approximately a third of people with epilepsy remain resistant to pharmacotherapy, often […]
Pharmacological treatment for continuous spike-wave during slow wave sleep syndrome and Landau-Kleffner Syndrome
Abstract Background Continuous spike‐wave during slow wave sleep syndrome (CSWS) and Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS) are two epileptic encephalopathies that present with neurocognitive regression, aphasia, and clinical seizures, typically presenting in children around five years of age. The pathophysiology of these conditions is not completely understood. Some studies suggest a common origin for both. No systematic […]
Vigabatrin for refractory partial epilepsy
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review published in 2008 and updated in 2013. Epilepsy is a common neurological condition which affects up to 1% of the population. Approximately 30% of people with epilepsy do not respond to treatment with currently available drugs. The majority of these people have focal […]