Epilepsy surgery, antiepileptic drug trials, and the role of evidence

Impact of vitamin D on human embryo implantation-a prospective cohort study in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer

OBJECTIVE

To measure free and total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] immediately before embryo transfer and analyze its association with early pregnancy outcome parameters such as biochemical pregnancy, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer after their first ovarian hyperstimulation.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Academically affiliated private fertility center.

PATIENT(S)

A total of 2,569 women undergoing fresh embryo transfer after ovarian hyperstimulation.

INTERVENTIONS(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

The study end points were biochemical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, early miscarriages, and ongoing pregnancy rate. Free and total 25(OH)D concentrations were measured 1 day before embryo transfer.

RESULT(S)

Total 25(OH)D correlated with free 25(OH)D. Total and free 25(OH)D serum concentrations were similar in those patients reaching and not reaching the study outcomes (biochemical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, early miscarriages, and ongoing pregnancy rate). There was likewise no statistical difference when analyzing the frequency of all study outcomes in quintiles of either total or free 25(OH)D. In addition, the study population was divided into three groups according to the total vitamin D status based on clinical practice guideline. All outcomes were similar in women with adequate, insufficient, and deficient total 25(OH)D. Multiple linear regression analysis considering confounding likewise indicated no association of free or total vitamin D with any of the study outcomes.

CONCLUSION(S)

Neither free nor total 25(OH)D concentration at embryo transfer was associated with successful embryo implantation in women undergoing fresh transfer after ovarian hyperstimulation.

Methodological issues associated with clinical trials in epilepsy

INTRODUCTION

despite methodological advances in epilepsy clinical trials, the proportion of patients reaching seizure-freedom has not substantially changed over the years. We review the main methodological limitations of current trials, the possible strategies to overcome these limits, and the issues that need to be addressed in next future. Area covered: references were identified by PubMed search until March 2017 and unpublished literature was searched on ClinicalTrials.gov. Add-on trials mainly involve refractory epilepsy subjects, reducing overall response to the investigational drug. The inclusion of subjects with earlier disease from less developed countries has partially allowed overcoming this limitation, but has introduced more random variability of results. Monotherapy trials rise methodological, economical, and ethical concerns with different regulatory requirements in European Union and in the United States of America. Newer trial designs, such as futility trials or 'time-to-event' design, have been implemented. Moreover, both add-on and monotherapy trials results might be affected by patient's ability to recognize and record seizures, and by randomness of seizures occurrence over time. Possible strategies to achieve more reliable outcomes are detailed. Expert commentary: clinical trial methodology needs to be optimized to better address regulatory agencies requirements and to encounter both patients' and clinicians' needs.

Evolution of cranial epilepsy surgery complication rates: a 32-year systematic review and meta-analysis

Object

Surgical interventions for medically refractory epilepsy are effective in selected patients, but they are underutilized. There remains a lack of pooled data on complication rates and their changes over a period of multiple decades. The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of reported complications from intracranial epilepsy surgery from 1980 to 2012.

Methods

A literature search was performed to find articles published between 1980 and 2012 that contained at least 2 patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on the procedure they underwent: A) temporal lobectomy with or without amygdalohippocampectomy, B) extratemporal lobar or multilobar resections, or C) invasive electrode placement. Articles were divided into 2 time periods, 1980–1995 and 1996–2012.

Results

Sixty-one articles with a total of 5623 patients met the study's eligibility criteria. Based on the 2 time periods, neurological deficits decreased dramatically from 41.8% to 5.2% in Group A and from 30.2% to 19.5% in Group B. Persistent neurological deficits in these 2 groups decreased from 9.7% to 0.8% and from 9.0% to 3.2%, respectively. Wound infections/meningitis decreased from 2.5% to 1.1% in Group A and from 5.3% to 1.9% in Group B. Persistent neurological deficits were uncommon in Group C, although wound infections/meningitis and hemorrhage/hematoma increased over time from 2.3% to 4.3% and from 1.9% to 4.2%, respectively. These complication rates are additive in patients undergoing implantation followed by resection.

Conclusions

Complication rates have decreased dramatically over the last 30 years, particularly for temporal lobectomy, but they remain an unavoidable consequence of epilepsy surgery. Permanent neurological deficits are rare following epilepsy surgery compared with the long-term risks of intractable epilepsy.

Complications of epilepsy surgery: a systematic review of focal surgical resections and invasive EEG monitoring

PURPOSE

Underutilization of epilepsy surgery remains a major problem and is in part due to physicians' misconceptions about the risks associated with epilepsy surgery. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on complications of focal epilepsy surgery.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Embase to identify studies examining epilepsy surgery complications. Abstract and full text review, along with data extraction, was done in duplicate. Minor medical and neurologic complications were defined as those that resolved completely within 3 months of surgery, whereas major complications persisted beyond that time frame. Descriptive statistics were used to report complication proportions.

KEY FINDINGS

Invasive monitoring: Minor complications were reported in 7.7% of patients, whereas major complications were reported in only 0.6% of patients undergoing invasive monitoring. Resective surgery: Minor and major medical complications were reported in 5.1% and 1.5% of patients respectively, most common being cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Minor neurologic complications occurred in 10.9% of patients and were twice as frequent in children (11.2% vs. 5.5%). Minor visual field defects were most common (12.9%). Major neurologic complications were noted in 4.7% of patients, with the most common being major visual field defects (2.1% overall). Perioperative mortality was uncommon after epilepsy surgery, occurring in only 0.4% of temporal lobe patients (1.2%extratemporal).

SIGNIFICANCE

The majority of complications after epilepsy surgery are minor or temporary as they tend to resolve completely. Major permanent neurologic complications remain uncommon. Mortality as a result of epilepsy surgery in the modern era is rare.

Epilepsia e Previdência Social: a decisão médico-pericial

A maior dificuldade encontrada no manejo de pacientes com epilepsia frente aos seguros saúde é que, apesar de todo o aparato tecnológico de que se dispõe atualmente, o diagnóstico continua sendo predominantemente clínico, não havendo critérios objetivos na definição da incapacidade laborativa. Este ensaio tem como propósito discutir necessidades e parâmetros e apresentar uma proposta de aperfeiçoamento de relatório a ser preenchido pelo médico assistente a fim de traçar estratégias para que o perito médico defina, com maior segurança, a incapacidade laborativa em segurados portadores de epilepsia. A proposta discute aspectos relacionados a diagnóstico, tratamento e prognóstico, assim como fatores que interferem na capacidade de trabalho, visando auxiliar a decisão médico-pericial acerca da concessão ou não de benefícios.