Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34189453›Full record

ArticleEpilepsy & behavior reports2021

Seizure control after late introduction of anakinra in a patient with adult onset Rasmussen's encephalitis.

Monika Mochol, Erik Taubøll, Line Sveberg, Bjørn Tennøe, Ketil Berg Olsen, Kjell Heuser, Sigrid Svalheim

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsy & behavior reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Lack of treatment effect of anakinra in a child with Rasmussen's encephalitis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Article
  5. Immunotherapy for autoimmune encephalitis.Cell death discovery · 2025
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Interleukins in Epilepsy: Friend or Foe.Neuroscience bulletin · 2024
    Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Monika MocholDepartment of Neurology, Østfold Hospital Trust, PO Box 300, 1714 Grålum, Norway.
Erik TaubøllInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1072 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
Line SvebergERGO - Epilepsy Research Group of Oslo, Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway.
Bjørn TennøeDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway.
Ketil Berg OlsenDepartment of Neurology, Østfold Hospital Trust, PO Box 300, 1714 Grålum, Norway.
Kjell HeuserERGO - Epilepsy Research Group of Oslo, Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway.
Sigrid SvalheimERGO - Epilepsy Research Group of Oslo, Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, PO Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway.
Oslo University Hospital · NOØstfold Hospital Trust · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neuroinflammation has been considered an important pathophysiological process involved in epileptogenesis and may provide possibilities for new treatment possibilities. We present the case of a 45-year-old female with drug resistant epilepsy and progressive right-sided cerebral hemiatrophy associated with adult onset Rasmussen's encephalitis. Over a period of 26 years, she was treated with 14 different antiseizure medications, intravenous immunoglobulins, glucocorticosteroids, underwent two operations with focal resection and subpial transections, and tried out trigeminal nerve stimulation. Extensive blood tests, including antibodies relevant for autoimmune encephalitis, and brain biopsy did not show any signs of neuroinflammation. Eventually, the patient received the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra. Within 1-2 days after injection, seizure frequency decreased significantly, and, after one week, the seizures stopped completely. Anakinra treatment was continued for 2 months. Stopping medication led to a relapse of seizures after 2 weeks, with a frequency of up to 45 seizures per day. Reintroduction of anakinra led to rapid recovery. Treatment with anakinra was continued for 7 months. The treatment was discontinued in April 2020, and the patient has been completely seizure free since then. There have been no other changes in antiseizure medication.

Indexed as

AnakinraASM, antiseizure medicationDrug resistant epilepsyFBTC, Focal to bilateral tonic-clonicFIRES, febrile infection-related epilepsy syndromeGTC, Generalized tonic-clonicHemiatrophyIVIG, Intravenous immunoglobulinsNeuroinflammationRasmussen’s encephalitis

Identifiers

PMID34189453
PMCPMC8219739
OpenAlexW3170309789

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.