Withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs.
Recent literature on withdrawing antiepileptic drug therapy in patients who are seizure free on antiepileptic drugs is reviewed. The average recurrence risk across studies is 29% at 2 years. Factors such as age of onset, etiology of seizures, the electroencephalogram and the epileptic syndrome influence outcome. Factors that need to be considered by the clinician include not just the statistical risk of recurrence but also the consequences of a recurrence, which will be a function of age and sex.
Shinnar
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Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Eistein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Berg
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
D000927:Anticonvulsants