OBJECTIVE To determine for how long after a first unprovoked seizure a driver must be seizure-free before the risk of recurrence in the next 12 months falls below 20%, enabling them to regain their driving licence. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial: Multicentre study of early Epilepsy and Single Seizures (MESS). SETTING UK hospital outpatient clinics from 1 January 1993 to 31 December 2000...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the value of leaving seizure-free patients on low-dose medication. METHOD This was an exploratory prospective randomized study conducted at our University Hospital. We evaluated the frequency of seizure recurrence and its risk factors following complete or partial antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal in seizure free patients for at least two years with focal, secondari...

BACKGROUND During the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, many patients avoided hospital visit because of fear of infection. Antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal is a risk factor for seizure recurrence. Therefore, seizure control during the SARS outbreak is a good model for examining the impact of drug withdrawal in seizure control. METHODS All seizures experienced by each ...

PURPOSE To evaluate whether the postoperative, antiepileptic drug (AED) regimen influences seizure recurrence after anterior temporal lobectomy when considering the putative mechanism of action and possible neuroprotective effects. METHODS This was a retrospective study. Patients who had an anterior temporal lobectomy for refractory epilepsy, whose preoperative MRI indicated mesial temporal s...

OBJECTIVES After a reasonable seizure-free period, discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs (AED) is usually decided in epileptic patients despite the risk of seizure recurrence. In children, risk of recurrence after discontinuation of AED is generally 20-40%; however, there is still no general agreement on the criteria to predict safe discontinuation. This study was designed to determine the ris...