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[Criteria for treatment-resistant epilepsy: the neuro-pediatrician's position]

E Raffo1

  • 1Service de Médecine Infantile 1, Hôpital d'Enfants-CHU de Nancy, 1 rue du Morvan, 54500 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France. e.raffo@chu-nancy.fr

Revue Neurologique
|August 28, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Treatment-resistant epilepsy lacks a clear definition, causing challenges in clinical practice. This expert review examines criteria and risk factors for pediatric treatment resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Epileptology

Context:

  • Treatment-resistant epilepsy is a widely discussed concept in medical literature and clinical settings.
  • Existing literature, including a 2003 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report, lacks a consensual definition for treatment resistance.
  • The criteria used to define treatment resistance are notably heterogeneous.

Purpose:

  • To explore the current understanding and definition of treatment-resistant epilepsy.
  • To present an expert's perspective on the criteria used for defining treatment resistance.
  • To review data concerning risk factors associated with treatment resistance in pediatric epilepsy cases.

Summary:

  • This expert position paper addresses the ambiguity surrounding the definition of treatment-resistant epilepsy.
  • It highlights the absence of a consensus definition and the heterogeneous nature of criteria in existing literature.
  • The paper also discusses risk factors pertinent to treatment resistance in pediatric epilepsy.

Impact:

  • Aims to clarify the concept of treatment-resistant epilepsy for clinicians and researchers.
  • Provides a foundation for developing standardized definitions and diagnostic criteria.
  • Contributes to a better understanding of risk factors, potentially improving pediatric epilepsy management.

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