ArticleEpilepsia open2026
An iEEG investigation on sex-specific differences in seizure duration.
Article in Epilepsia open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveMale people with epilepsy (mPWE) are at higher risk for bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (BTCs) and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) compared to female people with epilepsy (fPWE). Despite major clinical and personal implications, little is known about sex-specific differences in seizure propagation and termination. Characterization of seizure duration in men versus women with unifocal epilepsy.
methodsAdults with unifocal epilepsy and available intracranial EEG (iEEG) recordings (September 2006 to March 2022) were identified retrospectively. Up to 20 clinical seizures were analyzed per person, excluding individuals with status epilepticus or lateralized periodic discharges. Seizure duration was determined based on iEEG recordings. In focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FBTCs), durations of the focal and BTC phases were assessed based on EEG and seizure semiology. Multiple linear regression was used to assess sex-specific differences in seizure duration, adjusting for age, epileptic hemisphere, frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), lateralizing signs, onset during sleep, and focal seizures with preserved consciousness and aura phenomena (FPC-a). A restricted-cohort sensitivity analysis was performed, excluding PWE in whom clinical seizure onset preceded iEEG onset.
resultsA total of 100 PWE (m/f = 50/50; age: 33.6 ± 12.2 years) and 758 seizures (120 FBTCs) were analyzed. While fPWE had significantly longer focal seizures (FSs) (p = 0.015), mPWE revealed significantly longer FBTCs (p < 0.001), driven by a prolonged focal phase (p = 0.002). No significant difference was observed for the BTC phase. In the restricted cohort (n = 77 PWE), the prolongation of the focal phase during FBTCs in mPWE remained robust (p = 0.006). SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings demonstrate sex-specific differences in seizure duration, suggesting that seizure propagation may differ between men and women. This may contribute to a better pathophysiological understanding of the sex-specific differences in seizure manifestation and associated risks and underline the yet unmet need for a sex-specific approach in epilepsy research and patient management. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Sex-related differences in epilepsy are increasingly recognized but remain poorly understood. In this study, we compared seizure duration between women and men with unifocal epilepsy using intracranial brain recordings. We found that women had longer focal seizures, whereas men had longer focal phases in focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures. Further research is needed, as these differences may be relevant for clinical care and risk assessment in epilepsy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.