Non-discontinuation of antiseizure medication in seizure-free epilepsy patients

In patients with epilepsy and sustained seizure freedom, guidelines recommend considering discontinuation of antiseizure medication (ASM) based on shared decision-making. This study aims to identify factors associated with non-discontinuation of ASM in seizure-free patients.

Retrospective data from three sites of an academic outpatient clinic were analyzed. Adult patients with epilepsy who have been seizure-free for ≥24 months on ASM monotherapy were included. The primary end-point was non-discontinuation of ASM, defined as no discontinuation or no dose reduction of ≥25% at the last outpatient clinic visit in the ultimate seizure-free interval. Secondary end-points included frequency of discussion on discontinuation attempts between patients and physicians, adherence to ASM discontinuation decisions, and post-discontinuation seizure outcomes.

Out of 338 included patients, 81.7% did not discontinue ASM and did not reduce its dose, 11.5% discontinued ASM and 6.8% had a significant dose reduction. Factors independently associated with non-discontinuation of ASM were history of focal to bilateral or generalized tonic-clonic seizures (odds ratio [OR] 2.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-5.06), history of breakthrough seizures (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.10-10.04), history of failed attempts to discontinue or reduce the ASM dose (OR 4.67, 95% CI 1.03-21.11) and higher ASM load at the index visit (OR 6.10, 95% CI 2.09-17.78). Discontinuation attempts were made during the entire period of seizure freedom and were most commonly undertaken ≥10 years after the last seizure.

This study provides insights into factors associated with the shared decision-making process regarding ASM discontinuation in seizure-free patients and highlights the importance of considering individual patient characteristics and seizure history.