To identify risk factors for seizure in pregnant women, and in the general population with epilepsy.

Umbrella review of clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews on risk factors or prediction models for seizure occurrence in pregnant women with epilepsy, adults with epilepsy, or all individuals with epilepsy. Guidelines or systematic reviews exclusively for children were excluded. We searched MEDLINE, Emcare, Embase, CINAHL, TRIP PRO, Epistemonikos, World Health Organisation, Guideline International Network, DANS, and grey literature (2000-2023) without language restrictions. Risk factors or predictors listed in the final guidelines or systematic reviews were collated and thematically analysed.

From 3406 citations, we included 13 articles (ten guidelines, three systematic reviews) reporting 26 risk factors in pregnant women and the general adult population with epilepsy: eight factors in guidelines for pregnant women only; five in both pregnant women and general adult populations (four in both guidelines and systematic reviews, one in guidelines only); and 13 factors in the general adult population (four in both guidelines and systematic reviews, eight in guidelines, and one in a systematic review). Risk factors were categorised into five broad themes: seizure type; seizure control; anti-seizure medication; neurological; and epilepsy and medical history. Three risk factors for seizure ocurrence were cited in more than two guidelines or systematic reviews: seizure freedom (reduced risk), immediate initiation of anti-seizure medication after first seizure (reduced risk), and abnormal electroencephalogram (increased risk). Three risk factors were linked to a more than two-fold chance of seizures in pregnant women with epilepsy: tonic-clonic seizures in the last three months (RR 7.20, 95% CI 6.63-11.93), a history of non-tonic-clonic seizures (RR 2.11, 95% CI 1.88-2.62), and seizures in the pre-pregnancy year compared to no seizures (RR 3.51, 95% CI 3.13-3.94).

Multiple risk factors have been recommended for use in practice across different guidelines and reviews to identify those at increased risk of seizures in the adult population with epilepsy, and specifically in pregnant women with epilepsy. Further research is needed on the implementation of tools for predicting seizures to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

To compare the efficacy of intravenous clonazepam (CLZ) for the initial management of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in children as a function of the first-line in-hospital dose used.

This monocentric retrospective study included children who received a first dose of CLZ for CSE at Montpellier University Hospital, France, between January 2016 and June 2019. Data from medical records (clinical, treatment, course) were collected and compared as a function of the first CLZ dose used.

Among the 310 children treated for CSE, 105 received at least one CLZ dose (median age 3 years; quartile 1-quartile 3 [Q1-Q3] = 1 years 2 months-6 years 6 months). Among these 105 patients, 24 (22%) received a dose less than 0.03 mg/kg (low dose) and 69 (65%) received a dose of at least 0.03 mg/kg (high dose). Seizure cessation rate was not different between the low- and high-dose groups (62.5% vs 76%; odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19-1.44, p = 0.29). The administration of a second dose of CLZ was more frequent in the low- than the high-dose group (37.5% vs 16%; odds ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.1-9.1, p = 0.04).

Our study did not find any difference in seizure termination rate as a function of CLZ dose in children with CSE. However, a second CLZ dose was more frequently needed in the group receiving low (less than 0.03 mg/kg) CLZ.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that can negatively impact a person's physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being. The aim of this study was to provide insights into the experiences of people with epilepsy on polytherapy (i.e., people on a combination of two or more anti-seizure medications [ASMs]), with an emphasis on their emotional journey.

Market research was conducted with 40 people with epilepsy from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using both a content and framework analysis approach. A content analysis of participants' expressed emotions was used to illustrate the changes of emotions experienced by people with epilepsy from presentation through to monitoring and follow-up stages.

In each stage of the journey, themes and subthemes were identified under the overarching headings: Stage 1: Presentation - Life is turned upside down; Stage 2: Diagnosis - Period of learning; Stage 3: Treatment - Aspirations and experimentation; and Stage 4: Monitoring and follow-up - Feeling "out on a limb". The research identified key unmet needs and opportunities for people with epilepsy to improve their subjective experiences at different stages of their disease journey, namely: (1) establish and promote support networks from presentation through to monitoring and follow-up stages; (2) accelerate pathway to diagnosis; (3) provide opportunities to discuss the diagnosis with patients; (4) clarify treatment-change guidelines for patients; and (5) develop a shared treatment decision-making/empowerment tool.

The research findings and recommendations have the potential to drive change at an individual level, as well as at a healthcare level.