Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39728914›Full record

ArticleEpilepsia open2025

Management and outcomes among older adults with generalized epilepsy in routine clinical practice.

MarieElena Byrnes, Majed Alzahrany, Vineet Punia

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsia open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

3 authors.

MarieElena ByrnesEpilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2646-2735
Majed AlzahranyDepartment of Neurology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Vineet PuniaEpilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0552-6736

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Generalized epilepsy is classically thought of as a disease of the young and adolescent, with rarely reported cases among older adults. We aimed to analyze management and outcomes in a population sparsely described in the literature through a retrospective single-center cohort design. After excluding individuals without follow-up, we identified 151 people ≥50 years at the time of electrographically confirmed generalized epilepsy. Just over a quarter were late-onset (≥26 years), and 77% were diagnosed with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). Active seizures (in the last year of follow-up) were present in 57% of individuals, despite most of them having experienced prolonged seizure remission periods (median 7 years) in the past. Only five people were off antiseizure medication (ASM) at their last appointment, with most on an average of 2 ASMs. The odds of active epilepsy at the last follow-up were significantly higher among those with polyspikes (odds ratio [OR] = 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-6.01), myoclonic seizure history (OR = 2.88, 1.23-6.96), and developmental delay (OR = 4.75, 1.45-19.3). The odds were 60% lower in older adults with family history (OR = 0.4, 0.17-5.68). Our findings suggest that most older adults with generalized epilepsy achieve years of seizure remission, but the likelihood of epilepsy resolution is low. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Generalized epilepsy is seldom seen in older adults. We looked at 151 patients diagnosed with generalized epilepsy over the age of 50 to see how they are managed and what influences their outcomes. We found that although these patients can control their seizures with medication, the chance that their epilepsy resolves is low. Patients with certain characteristics classically seen in an epilepsy called "Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy" (JME) may have a more intractable course.

Indexed as

AnticonvulsantsDisease ManagementEpilepsy, GeneralizedAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAnticonvulsantsactive epilepsyelderlygenetic epilepsyidiopathic epilepsyseizure remission

Identifiers

PMID39728914
PMCPMC11803296

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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.