TY - JOUR
T1 - Brivaracetam as add-on treatment in patients with post-stroke epilepsy
T2 - real-world data from the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRIVAFIRST)
AU - BRIVAFIRST Group Membership
AU - Lattanzi, Simona
AU - Canafoglia, Laura
AU - Canevini, Maria Paola
AU - Casciato, Sara
AU - Cerulli Irelli, Emanuele
AU - Chiesa, Valentina
AU - Dainese, Filippo
AU - De Maria, Giovanni
AU - Didato, Giuseppe
AU - Di Gennaro, Giancarlo
AU - Falcicchio, Giovanni
AU - Fanella, Martina
AU - Ferlazzo, Edoardo
AU - Gangitano, Massimo
AU - La Neve, Angela
AU - Mecarelli, Oriano
AU - Montalenti, Elisa
AU - Morano, Alessandra
AU - Piazza, Federico
AU - Pizzanelli, Chiara
AU - Pulitano, Patrizia
AU - Ranzato, Federica
AU - Rosati, Eleonora
AU - Avorio, Federica
AU - Bartolini, Emanuele
AU - Beretta, Simone
AU - Bonanni, Paolo
AU - Cocito, Dario
AU - Costa, Cinzia
AU - D'Aniello, Alfredo
AU - Deleo, Francesco
AU - DiFrancesco, Jacopo C.
AU - Di Giacomo, Roberta
AU - Elia, Maurizio
AU - Estraneo, Anna
AU - Ferrari, Alessandra
AU - Fortunato, Francesco
AU - Luisi, Concetta
AU - Marino, Daniela
AU - Mascia, Addolorata
AU - Pastori, Chiara
AU - Pisani, Francesco
AU - Pisani, Laura Rosa
AU - Pollicino, Patrizia
AU - Quarato, Pier Paolo
AU - Quintas, Rui
AU - Sessa, Maria
AU - Tartara, Elena
AU - Viganò, Ilaria
AU - Villani, Flavio
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was not funded.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 British Epilepsy Association
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Objective: Post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is one of the most common causes of acquired epilepsy and accounts for about 10-15% of all newly diagnosed epilepsy cases. However, evidence about the clinical profile of antiseizure medications in the PSE setting is currently limited. Brivaracetam (BRV) is a rationally developed compound characterized by high-affinity binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A. The aim of this study was to assess the 12-month effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV in patients with PSE treated in a real-world setting. Methods: This was a subgroup analysis of patients with PSE included in the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRIVAFIRST). The BRIVAFIRST was a 12-month retrospective, multicentre study including adult patients prescribed adjunctive BRV. Effectiveness outcomes included the rates of seizure response (≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency), seizure‐freedom, and treatment discontinuation. Safety and tolerability outcomes included the rate of treatment discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs) and the incidence of AEs. Results: Patients with PSE included in the BRIVAFIRST were 75 and had a median age of 57 (interquartile range, 42-66) years. The median daily doses of BRV at 3, 6, and 12 months from starting treatment were 100 (100-150) mg, 125 (100-200) mg and 100 (100-200) mg, respectively. At 12 months, 32 (42.7%) patients had a reduction in their baseline seizure frequency by at least 50%, and the seizure freedom rates was 26/75 (34.7%). During the 1-year study period, 10 (13.3%) patients discontinued BRV. The reasons of treatment withdrawal were insufficient efficacy in 6 (8.0%) patients and poor tolerability in 4 (5.3%) patients. Adverse events were reported by 13 (20.3%) patients and were rated as mild in 84.6% and moderate in 15.4% of cases. Significance: Adjunctive BRV was efficacious and generally well-tolerated when used in patients with PSE in clinical practice. Adjunctive BRV can be a suitable therapeutic option for patients with PSE.
AB - Objective: Post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is one of the most common causes of acquired epilepsy and accounts for about 10-15% of all newly diagnosed epilepsy cases. However, evidence about the clinical profile of antiseizure medications in the PSE setting is currently limited. Brivaracetam (BRV) is a rationally developed compound characterized by high-affinity binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A. The aim of this study was to assess the 12-month effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive BRV in patients with PSE treated in a real-world setting. Methods: This was a subgroup analysis of patients with PSE included in the BRIVAracetam add-on First Italian netwoRk Study (BRIVAFIRST). The BRIVAFIRST was a 12-month retrospective, multicentre study including adult patients prescribed adjunctive BRV. Effectiveness outcomes included the rates of seizure response (≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency), seizure‐freedom, and treatment discontinuation. Safety and tolerability outcomes included the rate of treatment discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs) and the incidence of AEs. Results: Patients with PSE included in the BRIVAFIRST were 75 and had a median age of 57 (interquartile range, 42-66) years. The median daily doses of BRV at 3, 6, and 12 months from starting treatment were 100 (100-150) mg, 125 (100-200) mg and 100 (100-200) mg, respectively. At 12 months, 32 (42.7%) patients had a reduction in their baseline seizure frequency by at least 50%, and the seizure freedom rates was 26/75 (34.7%). During the 1-year study period, 10 (13.3%) patients discontinued BRV. The reasons of treatment withdrawal were insufficient efficacy in 6 (8.0%) patients and poor tolerability in 4 (5.3%) patients. Adverse events were reported by 13 (20.3%) patients and were rated as mild in 84.6% and moderate in 15.4% of cases. Significance: Adjunctive BRV was efficacious and generally well-tolerated when used in patients with PSE in clinical practice. Adjunctive BRV can be a suitable therapeutic option for patients with PSE.
KW - Antiseizure medication
KW - Brivaracetam
KW - Cerebrovascular diseases
KW - Focal seizures
KW - Stroke
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126597600&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85126597600&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.seizure.2022.03.007
DO - 10.1016/j.seizure.2022.03.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85126597600
VL - 97
SP - 37
EP - 42
JO - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
JF - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
SN - 1059-1311
ER -