Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29359374›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2018

Value of clinical features to differentiate refractory epilepsy from mimics: a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

A Labate, L Mumoli, A Curcio, G Tripepi, G D'Arrigo, E Ferlazzo, U Aguglia, C Indolfi, A Quattrone, A Gambardella

Erratum issuedAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Erratum.European journal of neurology · 2018
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

A LabateInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8827-7324
L MumoliInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
A CurcioInstitute of Cardiology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
G TripepiInstitute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
G D'ArrigoInstitute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
E FerlazzoInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
U AgugliaInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4574-2951
C IndolfiInstitute of Cardiology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
A QuattroneInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
A GambardellaInstitute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7384-3074
Magna Graecia University · ITIstituto di Fisiologia Clinica · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeMisdiagnosis of refractory epilepsy (rE) is common and such patients experience a long diagnostic delay. Our aim was to identify key clinical/laboratory factors in order to obtain an alternative diagnosis in patients referred for rE.

methodsBetween January 2010 and December 2015, 125 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of rE were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent a comprehensive neurological, neuropsychiatric and cardiological evaluation, and had an observation time of at least 1 year after the study entry.

resultsDiagnosis of rE was confirmed in 104/125 (83.2%) patients (55 women, mean age 38.8 ± 14.3 years). Thirteen/125 patients (10.4%, seven women, mean age 50.8 ± 20.9) were diagnosed with syncope, which was cardiac/cardio inhibitory in 9/13 (69%). The remaining 8/125 patients (6.4%, six women, mean age 41.2 ± 14.6 years) were diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Age at onset had a high accuracy in differentiating patients with syncope from others, with the best cut-off age at 35 years and above. Abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had a significant yield of about 70% in rE. A diagnostic model including age at onset and brain MRI was highly accurate in differentiating patients with syncope from others. In patients with cardiac/cardio inhibitory syncope, the point score of historical features was ≥1 and falsely favoured the diagnosis of epileptic seizures.

conclusionsThis prospective cohort study identifies rE mimics who are at high risk of morbidity and mortality. rE starting in adulthood should raise a high suspicion of cardiac syncope. Brain MRI is accurate in differentiating rE from other conditions.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAge of OnsetBrainCohort StudiesDelayed DiagnosisDiagnosis, DifferentialDiagnostic ErrorsDrug Resistant EpilepsyElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesAEDspsychogenic non-epileptic seizurerefractory epilepsysyncope

Identifiers

PMID29359374
OpenAlexW2793562161

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.