• Login
• Admin

Healy, Liam, Moran, Maria, Singhal, Sumeet, O'Donoghue, Michael F, Alzoubidi, Rania and Whitehouse, William P. (2018) Relapse after treatment withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs for juvenile absence epilepsy and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Seizure, 59 . pp. 116-122. ISSN 1059-1311

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Purpose

Conventional teaching is that juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) require lifelong antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment. We therefore wanted to determine how many patients attending our epilepsy service with JAE or JME went into 2 year remission, and then relapsed, both off and on AEDs.

Method

This was a retrospective case-notes review. Patients with JAE and JME were systematically ascertained from clinic lists and databases at one teaching hospital. Data was extracted systematically. Simple descriptive statistics were used.

Results

JAE: 14/36 (39%) were seizure free on AEDs for at least 2 years. Of the 6 (43%) attempting AED withdrawal, all (100%) relapsed, compared with only 25% of those who did not withdraw AEDs. Only 2/5 who relapsed and restarted AEDs regained remission.

JME: 32/145 (22%) were seizure free on AEDs for at least 2 years. Of the 10 (31%) attempting AED withdrawal, 8 (80%) relapsed, compared with only 36% of those who did not withdraw AEDs. Only 2/8 who relapsed and restarted AEDs regained remission.

Conclusion

Remission rates for JAE and JME was lower than expected. Higher proportions of seizure free patients underwent physician-supervised withdrawal than anticipated. Relapse rates off AEDs were similar for JAE and JME, and at least twice as high as for those remaining on AEDs, and a further remission was not invariable on restarting AEDs. Our experience, comparing relapse in those withdrawing to those staying on AEDs will help in discussions with patients keen to try AED withdrawal.

Item Type:	Article
RIS ID:	https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/961068
Keywords:	Absence seizures; Generalised seizures; Myoclonic epilepsy; Adolescent; Juvenile; adult; Antiepileptic drugs
Schools/Departments:	University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Medicine > Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Medicine
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seizure.2018.05.015
Depositing User:	Shreeve, Claire
Date Deposited:	23 May 2018 10:48
Last Modified:	04 May 2020 19:50
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/51980

Actions (Archive Staff Only)

Edit View