The global introduction of 14 new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) over the past 20 years as adjunctive treatment in refractory epilepsy has triggered an increased interest in optimising combination therapy. With a widening range of available mechanisms of AED action, much activity has been focused on the defining and refining "rational polytherapy" with AEDs that have differing pharmacological prope...

Antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy is the preferred initial management approach in epilepsy care, since most patients may be successfully managed with the first or second monotherapy utilized. This article reviews the rationale and evidence supporting preferential use of monotherapy when possible and guidelines for initiating and successfully employing AED monotherapy. Suggested approaches to...

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate outcome pregnancy and early development offspring, in women with epilepsy (WWE) who were receiving not anti-epileptic drugs (AED). Methods: Women delivered a teaching hospital (n=60), between November 2017 October 2018, identified from delivery records (n=5202) their infants (n=39) underwent developmental assessment by Baroda screening test. Mate...

OBJECTIVE To reassess the evidence for management issues related to the care of women with epilepsy (WWE) during pregnancy. METHODS Systematic review of relevant articles published between January 1985 and June 2007. RESULTS It is highly probable that intrauterine first-trimester valproate (VPA) exposure has higher risk of major congenital malformations (MCMs) compared to carbamazepine and ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Although the need for a combination of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the treatment of epilepsy is well justified, but an associated increase in adverse effects (AEs) lends a restriction to polytherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate AEs and drug load (prescribed daily dose/defined daily doses) of AEDs in patients with epilepsy (PWE). METHODS Consecutive PWEs att...

BACKGROUND Although antipsychotic polytherapy is considered appropriate in limited circumstances (e.g., during a brief "cross-titration" period when switching medications), its increasing prevalence indicates use beyond this limited scope. Despite absence of support in the medical literature and higher costs, antipsychotic polytherapy is common in the treatment of schizophrenia and related diso...

The favourable impact of surgery for intractable epilepsy on seizures is well documented. However, few studies have determined what changes in antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy occur following surgery. Alterations in AED blood levels in the immediate postoperative period can result in breakthrough seizures. In long term follow-up, one-third to one-half of seizure-free patients after temporal lob...

BACKGROUND/AIM Children with epilepsy have reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) due to disease and medications. We aimed to assess child-reported HRQOL in Indian children with epilepsy and compare it with that in healthy children. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study of 256 children with epilepsy aged between 5 and 18 years on antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment for at least...