Complete remission in epilepsy

“Epilepsy remission” – this topic is still discussed by epileptologists all over the world.

What is complete remission of epilepsy?

Complete remission is a complete suppression of all seizures and epiativity on the EEG, in the absence of pronounced side effects from the treatment used, while maintaining a high quality of life.

What time frame is sufficient to say that epilepsy remission has come?

It is generally accepted that remission is the complete absence of seizures for 12 months.

How to achieve remission for epilepsy?

Use antiepileptic drugs in treatment .

We start therapy immediately after the diagnosis and clarification of the form of epilepsy according to the classification.

First, we use one antiepileptic drug in the treatment, choosing the dose depending on the effectiveness and safety. If ineffective, we introduce a second drug. Further polytherapy is possible . The process of selecting therapy is complex, individual, but is based on clearly defined principles of therapy.

In a small number of people, surgical treatments are possible. An option for the treatment of drug- resistant forms of epilepsy in addition to taking medications is a ketogenic diet or stimulation of the vagal nerve.

In the case when it is not possible to achieve complete electro-clinical remission, we achieve the maximum possible improvement in the patient’s condition. This is how the terms are distinguished:

• 1. Partial remission, when patients are no attacks, but retained Epiactivity EEG changes and there are intellectual and mnemonic functions (the term “remission of seizures”).
• 2. Pseudoremission – those cases when, while taking anticonvulsants, the patient himself and others do not notice any seizures; but when carrying out the necessary diagnostics (most often, video EEG monitoring, when seizures and synchronic EEG epiactivity are clearly recorded ).

What do we call epilepsy convalescence?

Complete electro-clinical remission within 5 years against the background of AED intake and another 5 years without treatment, the absence of progressive changes in the mental sphere, can be called recovery.

Based on the materials of the conference on epilepsy in Krasnoyarsk, held in February 2014, where, together with prominent scientists in epileptology , such important concepts as “remission”, ” pseudo- remission ” and others were proposed . These and other terms should be generally accepted so that all doctors – neurologists, epileptologists , as well as doctors of other specialties and, of course, patients with epilepsy – understand each other. These are important stages in the development of epileptology that determine the tactics of treating each patient. How to treat epilepsy, how long to treat epilepsy, how often and for a long time to monitor the patient after the seizures stop? It is to these questions that the accepted terminology answers. This is the first article on remission, then we will analyze the terms “breakdown of remission”, ” pharmacoresistance ” and others.

So, from the article we learned that for epilepsy, remission is a complete absence of seizures for 12 months. We learned about the terms ” pseudo- remission”, “incomplete remission”. By recovery we mean complete electro-clinical remission within 5 years while taking AED and another 5 years without treatment, the absence of progressive changes in the mental sphere.

The task of an epileptologist is complete remission of epilepsy. And the task of patients with epilepsy is to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations and follow the regimen for epilepsy.