ReviewBrain and behavior2022
The burden of epilepsy and unmet need in people with focal seizures.
Review in Brain and behavior, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers to care in epilepsy surgery clinics in Latin America: a systematic review of social-economic impact.Neurosurgical review · 2026Pooled it
- Determinants of health-related quality of life of patients with focal epilepsy: A systematic literature review.Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic literature review of the humanistic and economic burden of focal epilepsy and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in adults.Epilepsia open · 2024Pooled it
- Enhancing quality of life in epilepsy with a digital intervention (emyna): Results of the ELAINE randomized controlled trial.Epilepsia open · 2024Trial
- Neurologists' Views on the Management of Uncontrolled Epilepsy in Spain: A Preliminary Survey.Neurology and therapy · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol in adult patients with epilepsy: A multicenter, retrospective study.Epilepsia open · 2026Article
- Solute carrier membrane transporters: emerging targets in CNS disorders.Nature reviews. Drug discovery · 2026Review
- The Mechanism of Long Non-coding RNA GABPB1-AS1/SLC12A5 Regulating Neuronal Ferroptosis in Epileptic Seizures.Neurochemical research · 2026Article
- Economic burden and cost determinants of epilepsy in Georgia: A longitudinal cost-of-illness study.Epilepsia open · 2026Article
- Sustained seizure reduction, treatment simplification, and high retention with cenobamate: A 12-month real-world study in refractory and ultra-refractory focal epilepsy.Epilepsia open · 2026Article
- Article
- Cenobamate: An Appraisal Five Years On.Neurology and therapy · 2026Review
- Exploring the role of PD-1 as a marker in drug-refractory epilepsy and its potential indication for valproic acid treatment.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Perspectives on the burden of drug-resistant epilepsy and treatment priorities: Findings from a multistakeholder survey.Epilepsia open · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and safety of cenobamate after conversion to monotherapy or dual therapy in real-world clinical practice.Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape · 2026Observational
- Cenobamate in pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy: real-world evidence from a two-center retrospective study.European journal of pediatrics · 2026Article
- Neurofibromatosis type 1-plexiform neurofibromas: Integrating treatment across pediatric and adult populations.Neuro-oncology · 2026Review
- Treatment patterns and adverse events of antiseizure medications among adult patients with epilepsy: a single centre observational cross-sectional study in Northern Sri Lanka.BMC neurology · 2026Observational
- Ambient temperature and pediatric seizure hospitalization: a time-stratified analysis in a national dataset.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Stratified Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Could Potentially Improve the Efficacy and Safety of Oxcarbazepine in Children with Epilepsy: Novel Insights from a Single-Center, Large-Sample, Retrospective Real-World Study.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEpilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions worldwide. As a chronic condition, epilepsy imposes a significant burden on people with epilepsy and society. We aimed to assess the burden and unmet need of individuals with epilepsy and their caregivers, focusing on focal seizures, the main type of seizure in adults and children.
methodsA targeted evidence review of the burden of epilepsy, focusing on focal seizures, was conducted to identify articles reporting: epidemiology, mortality, morbidity, quality of life (QoL), and costs.
resultsFocal seizures affect up to ∼61% of people with epilepsy. They are associated with an increased risk of injury and premature death than the general population. People with epilepsy also have high comorbidity, particularly depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairments. Higher seizure frequency, adverse treatment events, and employment concerns reduce QoL. A reduction in caregivers' QoL is also often reported. Epilepsy requires long-term treatment accounting for high individual costs. Hospitalizations and antiseizure medications (ASMs) are the leading cost drivers of inpatient management and indirect costs with high unemployment rates, particularly in drug-resistant populations. Despite the advent of new treatments, a high unmet need remains unaddressed; approximately 40% of people with epilepsy are drug-resistant, further increasing the risks associated with epilepsy.
conclusionsOur findings highlight a substantial burden of illness and unmet needs in individuals with focal seizures, especially those with drug-resistant epilepsy. Suboptimal treatment options negatively impact QoL and, consequently, a sizeable economic burden indicating the need for new treatments and prioritizing this condition.
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Registered trials
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.