title: Preference-based quality-of-life measures for neocortical epilepsy surgery.
abstract: Critical to decision analysis studies are measures of outcome utilities. In epilepsy surgery the benefit versus risk ratio is of particular interest in neocortical resections. Using the standard gamble, we measured preferences of 30 epilepsy patients for 10 outcome states specific to neocortical epilepsy surgery. Although considered preliminary, the findings suggest that the value of being seizure-free may be greater than that of continued disabling seizures, even if some deficits typical of "eloquent" cortex injury are incurred with surgery. Seizure freedom achieved with polytherapy medical management may be less desirable than that achieved with surgery and monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0001, USA. knowlton@uab.edu
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knowlton
authors.forename: Jitesh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kar
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Limdi
authors.forename: Rotem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elgavish
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilgore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D019579:Neocortex / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants