Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39470995›Full record

ArticleEpilepsia2025

Accumulated seizure burden predicts neurodevelopmental outcome at 36 months of age in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.

S Katie Z Ihnen, Samuel Alperin, Jamie K Capal, Alexander L Cohen, Jurriaan M Peters, E Martina Bebin, Hope A Northrup, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, TACERN Study Group

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Tuberous sclerosis complex.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
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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.

S Katie Z IhnenDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Samuel AlperinDivision of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Jamie K CapalDepartment of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Alexander L CohenDepartment of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Jurriaan M PetersDepartment of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6725-2814
E Martina BebinUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Division, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0304-4266
Hope A NorthrupDepartment of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
Mustafa SahinDepartment of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Darcy A KruegerDivision of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
TACERN Study Group

Funding

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 SCOTT Loren POMEROY, MUSTAFA SAHIN · 2021 to 2026
$9.4M
NICHD NIH HHS P50 HD105351NIH HHS U01NS082320NINDS NIH HHS U01 NS082320
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEpilepsy and intellectual disability are common in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Although early life seizures and intellectual disability are known to be correlated in TSC, the differential effects of age at seizure onset and accumulated seizure burden on development remain unclear.

methodsDaily seizure diaries, serial neurodevelopmental testing, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were analyzed for 129 TSC patients followed from 0 to 36 months. We used machine learning to identify subgroups of patients based on neurodevelopmental test scores at 36 months of age and assessed the stability of those subgroups at 12 months. We tested the ability of candidate biomarkers to predict 36-month neurodevelopmental subgroup using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Candidate biomarkers included age at seizure onset, accumulated seizure burden, tuber volume, sex, and earlier neurodevelopmental test scores.

resultsPatients clustered into two neurodevelopmental subgroups at 36 months of age, higher and lower scoring. Subgroup was mostly (75%) the same at 12 months. Significant univariable effects on subgroup were seen only for accumulated seizure burden (largest effect), earlier test scores, and tuber volume. Neither age at seizure onset nor sex significantly distinguished 36-month subgroups, although for girls but not boys there was a significant effect of age at seizure onset. In the multivariable model, accumulated seizure burden and earlier test scores together predicted 36-month neurodevelopmental group with 82% accuracy and an area under the curve of .86. SIGNIFICANCE: These results untangle the contributions of age at seizure onset and accumulated seizure burden to neurodevelopmental outcomes in young children with TSC. Accumulated seizure burden, rather than the age at seizure onset, most accurately predicts neurodevelopmental outcome at 36 months of age. These results emphasize the need to manage seizures aggressively during the first 3 years of life for patients with TSC, not only to promote seizure control but to optimize cognitive function.

Indexed as

Neurodevelopmental DisordersSeizuresTuberous SclerosisAge of OnsetBrainChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleage at onsetcognitionepilepsyepileptic encephalopathyinfancy

Identifiers

PMID39470995
PMCPMC11742629

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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.