title: Post-traumatic seizure disorder following acquired brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic anticonvulsant pharmacological strategies for the prevention of seizure disorders following acquired brain injury (ABI) to provide guidance for clinical practice based on the best available evidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review of the literature from 1980-2005 was conducted focusing on treatment interventions available for post-traumatic seizures following ABI. The evidence for the efficacy of a given intervention was ranked as strong (supported by at least two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), moderate (supported by a single RCT), or limited (supported by other types of studies in the absence of RCTs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on a previous meta-analysis and the findings of this review, there is strong evidence that prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy decreases the occurrence of early seizures but only within the first week post-injury. Moreover, the evidence indicates that prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy does not decrease the incidence of seizure onset more than one week post-injury. In children, there is moderate evidence that prophylactic phenytoin does not reduce the incidence of early or late seizures. The efficacy of anticonvulsants after the development of seizures has not been specifically studied in ABI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prophylactic anti-convulsants are effective in reducing seizures in the first week post-injury in adults. However, they do not reduce the occurrence of seizures after the first week.
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Resort Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. robert.teasell@sjhc.london.on.ca
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teasell
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bayona
authors.forename: Corbin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lippert
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villamere
authors.forename: Chelsea
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hellings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D004834:Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin