The prognostic value of electroencephalography in epilepsy: a long-term follow-up study

Predicting the evolution of epilepsy is of obvious importance for patients and their families. Value of electroencephalography (EEG) is extensively used in the diagnosis of epilepsy yet its role as a prognostication method remains unclear. The aim of the present retrospective study is to investigate the relationship between serial EEG recordings and long-term clinical and social outcomes in a cohort of patients with epilepsy. Thirty-nine epileptic patients were monitored clinically and with repeat EEG recordings for more than 15 years. All patients who initially had epileptiform discharges ended up with poor or moderate seizure control whereas more than half of the patients with normal initial recordings had good clinical outcomes and satisfactory social adjustment. Deterioration of the recordings over time was associated with unfavourable results in a significant proportion of patients (90 %), while stable or improved EEG findings predicted a favourable outcome. It is concluded that serial EEG recordings can be used in the prognostic evaluation of epilepsy.

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Perampanel effectiveness and tolerability in patients with epilepsy at long-term follow-up

Epilepsy & Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108069 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 121 ◽

pp. 108069

Author(s):

Mariana Fernandes ◽

Filippo Dainese ◽

Francesca Operto ◽

Simona Lattanzi ◽

Sara Matricardi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Patients With Epilepsy

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Long-term effectiveness and safety of antiepileptic drugs in children and adults

Reviews on Clinical Pharmacology and Drug Therapy ◽

10.17816/rcf192221-228 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 221-228

Author(s):

Roza M. Shaimardanova ◽

Rimma G. Gamirova

Keyword(s):

Valproic Acid ◽

Antiepileptic Drugs ◽

Focal Epilepsy ◽

City Hospital ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

Long Term Observation ◽

Patients With Epilepsy

AIM: To conduct a retrospective comparative analysis of the efficacy and safety of epilepsy therapy with antiepileptic drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis of the treatment of 428 patients with epilepsy at the Childrens City Hospital No. 8 in Kazan, receiving antiepileptic drugs. RESULTS: It was found that valproic acid is more effective in the treatment of idiopathic generalized epilepsies compared to focal epilepsies (p = 0.0006). Valproate and carbamazepine were the most effective in the treatment of focal epilepsy with short- and long-term follow-up. Valproic acid is more effective than topiramate (p = 0.02), oxcarbazepine (p = 0.003), and levetiracetam (p = 0.003) in the treatment of focal epilepsy in short- and long-term follow-up. Carbamazepine is more effective than topiramate (p = 0.01), oxcarbazepine (p = 0.02), and levetiracetam (p = 0.001) in the treatment of focal epilepsy in long-term follow-up. It was revealed that more often they complained about side effects when using carbamazepine (63.2%). Levetiracetam was found to be better tolerated compared to valproate (p = 0.0006) and carbamazepine (p = 0.0006). Topiramate is better tolerated than carbamazepine (p = 0.02) and valproate (p = 0.03). Oxcarbazepine is better tolerated than carbamazepine in women (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: When choosing an antiepileptic drug, it is necessary to be guided by the principle: first the basic, and then the drugs of the next generations, in the future, rely on information about the tolerability of the drug. It is necessary to evaluate the therapeutic effect of antiepileptic drugs with long-term observation, and use the criterion of complete absence of seizures as an indicator of the effectiveness of drugs.

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Abstract 5772: The Impact of Aortic Plaque Morphology on Survival Rate and the Incidence of Subsequent Embolic Event: Very Long-Term Follow-Up Data

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.118.suppl_18.s_999-b ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽

Author(s):

Chisato Izumi ◽

Shuichi Takahashi ◽

Sumiyo Hashiwada ◽

Koji Hanazawa ◽

Jiro Sakamoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Event Rate ◽

Plaque Morphology ◽

Embolic Event ◽

Aortic Plaque ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Atheromatous plaques of the aorta have been regarded as a potential source of emboli, but there are few reports about the frequency and prognosis of patients with thoracic aortic plaques and about the relationship between plaque morphology and prognosis, especially long-term follow-up data. The purpose of this study is to clarify the impact of aortic atheromatous plaque morphology on survival rate and the incidence of subsequent embolic event. We retrospectively investigated 1570 consecutive patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography between 1991 and 2003. The presence of severe plaque (>5mm in thickness) in the thoracic aorta were examined. Survival rate and subsequent embolic event rate were compared between patients with severe plaque and 109 control patients. The control patients were selected from the patients who showed no or mild plaque and as they were matched for age, gender, and risk factors of atherosclerosis with the patients with severe aortic plaque. The relationship between aortic plaque morphology and prognosis was also estimated, according to the presence of ulceration, calcification, hypoechoic plaques, and mobile plaques. Mean follow-up period was 8.7 years. Among 1570 patients, severe aortic plaque was detected in 92 patients (5.9%). These 92 patients showed significantly low survival rate and high subsequent embolic event rate compared with control patients (8-year survival rate, 50% vs 87%, 8-year embolic event free rate, 57% vs 90%). The relative risk of death was significantly increased for ulceration (2.4, 95% CI;1.1–5.2) and the relative risk of embolic events was significantly increased for mobile plaques (2.2, 95% CI;1.1–5.1). In conclusion, aortic plaque > 5mm in thickness was a predictor of a low survival rate and a high embolic event rate. Among patients with aortic plaque >5mm in thickness, ulceration was a predictor of a low survival rate and mobile plaque was a predictor of a high embolic event rate.

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Longitudinal Observations of the Relationship Between Free Erythrocyte Porphyrins and Whole Blood Lead

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.57.1.54 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 54-59

Author(s):

J. Routt Reigart ◽

Norris H. Whitlock

Keyword(s):

Whole Blood ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Elevated Blood ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Short And Long Term ◽

First Contact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Clinical Category

Short- and long-term comparison of the variations with time of whole blood lead and free erythrocyte porphyrins (FEP) suggests that changes in FEP are slow and predictable whereas blood lead changes are quite unpredictable. However, when FEP suggests a different clinical category from blood lead, the blood lead is likely to change in the direction predicted by the FEP. Comparison of FEP to blood lead at first contact in 349 children with mild elevation of blood lead reliably predicted which children would still have elevated blood lead six weeks later and which would fall or be normal. The observation of long-term follow-up in four groups of children with various combinations of FEP and blood lead indicated that the follow-up blood lead could be predicted to change in the direction indicated by the FEP measurement. The implications for screening for lead poisoning are discussed.

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Psychosocial adjustment among women with breast cancer stages I and II: six-year follow-up of consecutive patients.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.1994.12.9.1778 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 1778-1782 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

M Omne-Pontén ◽

L Holmberg ◽

P O Sjödén

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Psychosocial Adjustment ◽

Social Adjustment ◽

Negative Experience ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

The Impact

PURPOSE To evaluate, in a long-term follow-up study of consecutive patients (N = 99), the impact of surgery--breast-conserving treatment (BCT) versus mastectomy (MT)--on psychosocial adjustment among women with breast cancer, pTNM stage I/II. PATIENTS AND METHODS Semistructured interviews were conducted at a median of 6 years (range, 5.8 to 8.1) after primary surgery. Sixty-six women were available for the long-term follow-up study. Twenty-six women had been treated with BCT and 40 with MT. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups concerning psychosocial adjustment, as measured by the Social adjustment Scale (SAS). In general, the levels of maladjustment were lower than at 13 months postoperatively, but 10% still showed maladjustment. Sixty percent of the women were unwilling to show themselves naked, and 22% felt that they had become less attractive because of the surgical treatment. In an explorative part of the interview, 68% of the women complained about how they had been informed of the diagnosis. A tendency toward a significant difference was found in the relation between previous maladjustment and a negative experience at the time of diagnosis (P = .07). CONCLUSION Few data are available on long-term follow-up results with regard to psychosocial adjustment among women after breast cancer surgery. This study provides the important information that there are no differences in patient psychosocial adjustment that can be ascribed to the type of surgery at 6-year follow-up evaluation.

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