How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?

Abstract We depend upon self‐reporting to determine seizure frequency for epilepsy management decisions, but people often misreport their seizures. Here, we determined misreporting rates in adults with absence seizures, undergoing inpatient video‐EEG telemetry (VET) or outpatient ambulatory electroe...

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Main Authors: Joao Pizarro, Suzanne O'Sullivan, Matthew C. Walker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-06-01
Series:Epilepsia Open
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12689
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author Joao Pizarro
Suzanne O'Sullivan
Matthew C. Walker
author_facet Joao Pizarro
Suzanne O'Sullivan
Matthew C. Walker
author_sort Joao Pizarro
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We depend upon self‐reporting to determine seizure frequency for epilepsy management decisions, but people often misreport their seizures. Here, we determined misreporting rates in adults with absence seizures, undergoing inpatient video‐EEG telemetry (VET) or outpatient ambulatory electroencephalography (aEEG). Under‐reporting rates were based on VET data, where behavior could be assessed, whilst over‐reporting was assessed using both VET and aEEG. Forty‐two patients (31 female and 11 males, median age 28.5 years) and 759 reported absence seizures were included in this study. Overall, only 24% of the 759 reported seizures had an associated EEG correlate, indicating a high over‐reporting rate, which occurred in 57% of patients. Age, sex, time of epilepsy, VET versus aEEG, epilepsy syndrome, or medication were not significant predictors of over‐reporting. In the VET group in which we could assess both over‐ and under‐reporting (22 patients), only 2 patients correctly reported their seizures, and patients were predominantly over‐reporters or under‐reporters, not both. Only 26% of 423 absence seizures were reported. Use of zonisamide or valproate was associated with under‐reporting, possibly through an impact on attention. These findings indicate that self‐reported absence seizures are a poor measure to use for treatment decisions due to both over‐ and under‐reporting.
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spelling doaj.art-8d54c0722a394773b19f32821cbf2f9f2023-06-02T03:50:17ZengWileyEpilepsia Open2470-92392023-06-018264164410.1002/epi4.12689How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?Joao Pizarro0Suzanne O'Sullivan1Matthew C. Walker2Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UKDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UKDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology London UKAbstract We depend upon self‐reporting to determine seizure frequency for epilepsy management decisions, but people often misreport their seizures. Here, we determined misreporting rates in adults with absence seizures, undergoing inpatient video‐EEG telemetry (VET) or outpatient ambulatory electroencephalography (aEEG). Under‐reporting rates were based on VET data, where behavior could be assessed, whilst over‐reporting was assessed using both VET and aEEG. Forty‐two patients (31 female and 11 males, median age 28.5 years) and 759 reported absence seizures were included in this study. Overall, only 24% of the 759 reported seizures had an associated EEG correlate, indicating a high over‐reporting rate, which occurred in 57% of patients. Age, sex, time of epilepsy, VET versus aEEG, epilepsy syndrome, or medication were not significant predictors of over‐reporting. In the VET group in which we could assess both over‐ and under‐reporting (22 patients), only 2 patients correctly reported their seizures, and patients were predominantly over‐reporters or under‐reporters, not both. Only 26% of 423 absence seizures were reported. Use of zonisamide or valproate was associated with under‐reporting, possibly through an impact on attention. These findings indicate that self‐reported absence seizures are a poor measure to use for treatment decisions due to both over‐ and under‐reporting.https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12689absence seizuresantiseizure medicationgenetic generalized epilepsyself‐reportvideo‐EEG telemetry
spellingShingle Joao Pizarro
Suzanne O'Sullivan
Matthew C. Walker
How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
Epilepsia Open
absence seizures
antiseizure medication
genetic generalized epilepsy
self‐report
video‐EEG telemetry
title How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
title_full How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
title_fullStr How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
title_full_unstemmed How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
title_short How accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures?
title_sort how accurately do adult patients report their absence seizures
topic absence seizures
antiseizure medication
genetic generalized epilepsy
self‐report
video‐EEG telemetry
url https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.12689
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