Risk factors for post-traumatic epilepsy

The aim of the current study was to investigate the risk factors for post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in a large cohort of patients after severe non-penetrating civilian traumatic brain injury (TBI).

This was a longitudinal study. All patients with a severe non-penetrating TBI, who were admitted at the neuro-intensive care unit of Shahid Rajaee Trauma Hospital, affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from 2015 until 2019, were studied. Severe TBI was defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale-Motor score below six. Post-traumatic epilepsy was defined as any seizures that occurred after being discharged from the hospital.

In total, 803 patients with severe non-penetrating TBI were studied; 82 patients (10.2%) reported any late post-traumatic seizures (PTSs). A higher Glasgow outcome scale (extended) at discharge was significantly inversely associated with PTE [Odds Ratio (OR)= 0.76, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.65-0.87; p = 0.0001]. Depressed skull fracture (OR= 1.88, 95% CI: 0.92-3.80; p = 0.081), epi‑dural hematoma (OR= 1.67, 95% CI: 0.93-2.97; p = 0.083), and sub-dural hematoma (OR= 1.64, 95% CI: 0.96-2.78; p = 0.068) were associated with PTE as trends.

Our study adds to the literature on the risk of PTE after severe non-penetrating civilian TBI. Our large sample size and also the application of a logistic regression analysis model may suggest that other variables (e.g., depressed skull fracture and intracranial hematoma) are indeed associated with the Glasgow outcome scale (extended) at discharge and that is why they lost their significance in the model.