Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39948216›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2025

Adjunctive treatment for pediatric focal epilepsy: a systematic review.

Siru Wang, Hu Sun, Zhaoxuan Wang, Chunxiao Sun, Xiaolu Zhang, Chang Liu

Abstract readNetwork Meta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 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

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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

6 authors.

Siru Wang *School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-6352-2316
Hu Sun *Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China.
Zhaoxuan WangSchool of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China.
Chunxiao SunShandong Provincial Center for ADR Monitoring, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China.
Xiaolu ZhangSchool of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, Shandong Province, China.
Chang LiuDepartment of Pharmacy, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, 266034, Shandong Province, China. lch1001@yeah.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5945-4363

Funding

the Women and Children Health Care Association of Shandong SFYXH-2023Y017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe aim to use a network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of antiseizure medications and provide a theoretical basis for rational drug use for children and adolescents in adjunctive treatment.

methodsThe databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for random clinical trials about perampanel, valproic acid, carbamazepine, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, zonisamide, brivaracetam, cenobamate, eslicarbazepine acetate, and pregabalin from their inception until December 10, 2023. The included studies' risk of bias was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration's tool (RoB2). The network meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15 on the included studies.

resultsSeventeen studies were identified and of these 19 randomized controlled trials evaluating 9 different antiepileptic drugs were included. In total, 2959 patients were covered in the analysis of the outcomes. For efficacy, lacosamide (OR = 1.91, 95%CI 1.14-3.20), lamotrigine (OR = 3.82, 95%CI 1.86-7.83), levetiracetam (OR = 3.01, 95%CI 1.89-4.80), oxcarbazepine (OR = 2.75, 95%CI 1.52-4.96), perampanel (OR = 2.05, 95%CI 1.15-3.65), and zonisamide (OR = 2.27, 95%CI 1.21-4.24) were more effective than placebo in the 50% responder rate. Lamotrigine ranked first on the cumulative probability curve, followed by levetiracetam. Eslicarbazepine acetate (OR = 6.44, 95%CI 1.43-29.00) and levetiracetam (OR = 5.75, 95%CI 2.45-13.50) were better than placebo in seizure freedom. For safety, topiramate (OR = 4.11, 95%CI 1.43-11.76) and oxcarbazepine (OR = 2.72, 1.28-5.76) were more likely to cause adverse effects in children or adolescents compared to placebo.

conclusionIn terms of efficacy and safety, lamotrigine and levetiracetam may be selected preferentially for the adjunctive treatment of focal epilepsy in children and adolescents. However, owing to the limited random clinical trials, our results need to be verified by further studies.

Indexed as

AnticonvulsantsEpilepsies, PartialAdolescentChildDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnticonvulsantsAdjunctive treatmentAdolescentsChildrenFocal epilepsyNetwork meta-analysis

Identifiers

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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.