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Definition of intractable epilepsy.
Shobhit Sinha1, Khurram A Siddiqui
1Neuroscience Center, King Fahad Medical City, PO Box 59046, Riyadh 11525, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ssinha@kfmc.med.sa
Neurosciences (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
|January 6, 2011
Summary
Defining intractable epilepsy is crucial for identifying patients resistant to medication. The International League Against Epilepsy offers an operational definition for drug-resistant epilepsy, aiding clinical and research efforts.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Intractable epilepsy affects up to 40% of patients, necessitating clear definitions for research and treatment.
- Current definitions of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy consider factors like antiepileptic drug (AED) failures, seizure frequency, and duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the challenges and considerations in defining intractable epilepsy.
- To present the International League Against Epilepsy's proposed definition of drug-resistant epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing definitions for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy.
- Analysis of key factors contributing to epilepsy intractability.
Main Results:
- Consensus exists on 2-3 antiepileptic drug (AED) failures, but seizure frequency and time criteria vary.
- The International League Against Epilepsy proposes defining drug-resistant epilepsy by the failure of two adequate AED trials.
Conclusions:
- The proposed definition offers an operational standard for clinical and research settings.
- Criteria for epilepsy intractability may evolve with new data and treatments.
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