Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34343869›Full record

ArticlePediatric neurology2021

Epilepsy Is Heterogeneous in Early-Life Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

S Katie Z Ihnen, Jamie K Capal, Paul S Horn, Molly Griffith, Mustafa Sahin, E Martina Bebin, Joyce Y Wu, Hope Northrup, Darcy A Krueger, TACERN study group

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric neurology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% 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

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Neonatal Seizures in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Case Series.Annals of the Child Neurology Society · 2026
    Article
  5. Tuberous sclerosis complex.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. 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

10 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

S Katie Z IhnenDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio. Electronic address: katie.ihnen@cchmc.org.
Jamie K CapalDepartment of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Paul S HornDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Molly GriffithDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mustafa SahinDepartment of Neurology and F.M Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.
E Martina BebinDepartment of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Joyce Y WuDivision of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Hope NorthrupDepartment of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas.
Darcy A KruegerDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
TACERN study group
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center · USBoston Children's Hospital · USNorthwestern University · USThe University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston · USUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · USUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US

Funding

The Impact of COVID-19 on People Living with Rare Diseases and Their FamiliesU2CTR002818 · NCATS · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · PI Maurizio Macaluso · 2019 to 2026
$51.2M
LCenter for Clinical and Translational Science and TrainingUL1TR001425 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI MEINZEN-DERR, JAREEN, STRAWN, JEFFREY ROBERT · 2015 to 2024
$37.5M
Toward better characterization and clinical trial readiness for targeting neuropsychiatric manifestations in PTEN pathogenic variantsU54NS092090 · NINDS · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI M. Pilar Trelles · 2014 to 2026
$20.1M
Early Biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorders in infants with Tuberous SclerosisU01NS082320 · NINDS · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI KRUEGER, DARCY, SAHIN, MUSTAFA · 2012 to 2018
$13.3M
Genetic Analysis and Manipulation Core (GAEC)P50HD105351 · NICHD · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI Hisashi Umemori · 2021 to 2026
$9.4M
Potential EEG biomarkers and antiepileptogenic strategies for epilepy in TSCP20NS080199 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI BEBIN, MARTINA · 2012 to 2014
$966k
NCATS NIH HHS U2C TR002818NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001425NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD105351NINDS NIH HHS P20 NS080199NINDS NIH HHS U01 NS082320NINDS NIH HHS U54 NS092090
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpilepsy in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) typically presents with early onset, multiple seizure types, and intractability. However, variability is observed among individuals. Here, detailed individual data on seizure characteristics collected prospectively during early life were used to define epilepsy profiles in this population.

methodsChildren aged zero to 36 months were followed longitudinally. Caregivers kept daily seizure diaries, including onset and daily counts for each seizure type. Patients with >70% seizure diary completion and >365 diary days were included. Developmental outcomes at 36 months were compared between subgroups.

resultsEpilepsy was seen in 124 of 156 (79%) participants. Seizure onset occurred from zero to 29.5 months; 93% had onset before age 12 months. Focal seizures and epileptic spasms were most common. Number of seizures (for median 897 days) ranged from 1 to 9128. Hierarchical clustering based on six metrics of seizure burden (age of onset, total seizures, ratio of seizure days to nonseizure days, seizures per seizure day, and worst seven- and 30-day stretches) revealed two distinct groups with broadly favorable and unfavorable epilepsy profiles. Subpopulations within each group showed clinically meaningful differences in seizure burden. Groups with higher seizure burden had worse developmental outcomes at 36 months.

conclusionsAlthough epilepsy is highly prevalent in TSC, not all young children with TSC have the same epilepsy profile. At least two phenotypic subpopulations are discernible based on seizure burden. Early and aggressive treatments for epilepsy in TSC may be best leveraged by targeting specific subgroups based on phenotype severity.

Indexed as

Age of OnsetChild, PreschoolEpilepsies, PartialEpilepsyFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornLongitudinal StudiesMaleSpasms, InfantileTuberous SclerosisEpilepsy in infancyEpilepsy phenotypeEpileptic spasmsFocal seizuresSeizure burdenSeizure diaryTubers

Identifiers

PMID34343869
PMCPMC8487620
OpenAlexW3179683710

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

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.