Antidepressants for people with epilepsy and depression
Abstract Background Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy, affecting around one‐third, with a significant negative impact on quality of life. There is concern that people may not be receiving appropriate treatment for their depression because of uncertainty regarding which antidepressant or class works best, and the perceived risk of […]
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 […]
Ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine for absence seizures in children and adolescents
Abstract Background 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 […]
Gabapentin add‐on treatment for drug‐resistant focal epilepsy
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review previously published in 2018. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterised by recurrent seizures. Most people with epilepsy have a good prognosis and their seizures are well controlled by a single antiepileptic drug, but up to 30% develop drug‐resistant epilepsy, especially people with focal […]
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 […]
Zonisamide add-on for drug-resistant partial epilepsy
Abstract Background The majority of people with epilepsy have a good prognosis, and their seizures can be well controlled with the use of a single antiepileptic agent, but up to 30% develop dug‐resistant epilepsy, especially those with focal seizures. In this review, we summarised the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCT) of zonisamide, used as […]
Lamotrigine add‐on therapy for drug‐resistant generalised tonic‐clonic seizures
Abstract Background This is an update of the Cochrane Review first published in 2010; it includes one additional study. Primary generalised tonic‐clonic seizures are a type of generalised seizure. Other types of seizures include: absence, myoclonic, and atonic seizures. Effective control of tonic‐clonic seizures reduces the risk of injury and death, and improves quality of […]
Stiripentol add‐on therapy for drug‐resistant focal epilepsy
Abstract Background This is an updated version of the Cochrane Review first published in 2014, and last updated in 2018. For nearly 30% of people with epilepsy, seizures are not controlled by current treatments. Stiripentol is an antiepileptic drug (AED) that was developed in France and was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in […]