SynthesisJournal of neurology2026
The effect of seizure-free period on seizure recurrence following antiseizure medication withdrawal: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe seizure-free period before withdrawal is an important factor that influences the risk of epilepsy relapse. Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of the seizure-free period on the relapse risk after antiseizure medication(ASM) withdrawal in epilepsy populations and identify the optimal timing of ASM withdrawal.
methodsThe Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed and Web of Science were searched for literature published from inception to November 2, 2025. The primary outcome was the relapse risk of epilepsy patients after ASM withdrawal. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate the pooled recurrence risk based on heterogeneity.
resultsWe identified 45 studies with 10,896 patients; 22 studies with 3933 patients were included in the meta-analysis. According to the analyses of all the epilepsy patients, there was a greater risk of recurrence in patients with <5 years of seizure freedom (RR (95% CI) 1.49 (1.17-1.88), p=0.001). Our results also revealed that patients with ≥10 years of seizure freedom had a higher risk of recurrence (RR (95% CI) 0.21 (0.09-0.49), p<0.001); however, it needs further validation due to the limited number of participants and the inclusion of studies. With respect to the subgroup analyses, paediatric patients who had <3 years of seizure freedom, adult patients who had <5 years of seizure freedom, European patients who had <2 years of seizure freedom and Middle Eastern patients who had <3 years of seizure freedom had a higher relapse risk(RR(95% CI) 1.70(1.20-2.39),p=0.003; RR(95% CI) 1.52(1.02-2.26),p=0.04; RR(95% CI) 2.11(1.48-2.99),p<0.001; RR(95% CI) 1.87 (1.41-2.48),p<0.001; RR(95% CI) 1.37(1.03-1.83),p=0.03). SIGNIFICANCE: The seizure-free period may be an important factor that influences patients' risk of recurrence after ASM withdrawal. Without strong recommendations and evidence regarding the seizure-free period and risk of seizure recurrence, this meta-analysis provides evidence of the optimal timing of ASM withdrawal in epilepsy subpopulations.
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