TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of prophylactic treatment on post-traumatic epilepsy after severe traumatic brain injury
AU - Formisano, R.
AU - Barba, C.
AU - Buzzi, M. G.
AU - Newcomb-Fernandez, J.
AU - Menniti-Ippolito, F.
AU - Zafonte, R.
AU - Vinicola, V.
AU - Spanedda, F.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Aim: 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.
AB - Aim: 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.
KW - Cognitive functioning
KW - Late post-traumatic epilepsy
KW - Prophylactic anti-epileptic treatment
KW - Severe traumatic brain injury
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U2 - 10.1080/02699050701310994
DO - 10.1080/02699050701310994
M3 - Article
C2 - 17522989
AN - SCOPUS:34249826645
VL - 21
SP - 499
EP - 504
JO - Brain Injury
JF - Brain Injury
SN - 0269-9052
IS - 5
ER -