The impact of prophylactic treatment on post-traumatic epilepsy after severe traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence of late post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) in patients with very severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who either received or did not receive anti-epileptic prophylactic treatment.


METHODS
Two populations were studied: 55 patients retrospectively and 82 subjects prospectively.


RESULTS
Ten patients (18%) in the first population showed late PTE. Although the incidence was lower in patients who did not receive prophylactic treatment, the difference between the treated and the non-treated group was not statistically significant. Sixty-nine patients in the second group (84%) had prophylactic treatment. Twenty-seven patients (39%) suffered from late PTE during the 2-year follow-up period and 17 of them (63%) showed EEG epileptic abnormalities. No patient who did not receive preventive therapy suffered from late PTE during the observation period.


CONCLUSIONS
Due to the negative cognitive effects of anti-epileptic drugs, the preliminary results are of considerable interest for the rehabilitation of patients with very severe TBI.
Formisano
R
R
Rehabilitation Hospital, I.R.C.C.S Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy. r.formisano@hsantalucia.it
Barba
C
C
Buzzi
M G
MG
Newcomb-Fernandez
J
J
Menniti-Ippolito
F
F
Zafonte
R
R
Vinicola
V
V
Spanedda
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000927:Anticonvulsants