Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

The number of patients with successful outcomes following surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy has been rapidly increasing. This trend has heightened the relevance of addressing the appropriateness of postoperative withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AED). There are no unified guidelines reg...

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Main Authors: Irina G. Areshkina, Yuri V. Mozheiko, Anna A. Usoltseva, Nikita P. Utyashev, Violetta D. Poleshchuk, Diana V. Dmitrenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Research Center of Neurology 2025-06-01
Series:Анналы клинической и экспериментальной неврологии
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Online Access:https://annaly-nevrologii.com/pathID/article/viewFile/1262/pdf
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author Irina G. Areshkina
Yuri V. Mozheiko
Anna A. Usoltseva
Nikita P. Utyashev
Violetta D. Poleshchuk
Diana V. Dmitrenko
author_facet Irina G. Areshkina
Yuri V. Mozheiko
Anna A. Usoltseva
Nikita P. Utyashev
Violetta D. Poleshchuk
Diana V. Dmitrenko
author_sort Irina G. Areshkina
collection DOAJ
description The number of patients with successful outcomes following surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy has been rapidly increasing. This trend has heightened the relevance of addressing the appropriateness of postoperative withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AED). There are no unified guidelines regarding the optimal timing and rates for discontinuing pharmacological therapy. This article reviews the timing, rate, and specifics of AED withdrawal following surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy using two exemplary clinical cases. The decision to discontinue pharmacotherapy depends on multiple factors, including patient preferences. In cases of favorable outcomes following epilepsy surgery, AED withdrawal one year into remission is considered safe and does not affect long-term seizure outcomes in adult patients who have undergone anterior temporal lobectomy, remain completely seizure- and aura-free, and show no epileptiform activity on electroencephalography. Patients with multiple epileptogenic zones, epileptiform EEG activity, or persistent seizures/auras have less favorable prognoses regarding AED withdrawal.
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issn 2075-5473
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language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Research Center of Neurology
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series Анналы клинической и экспериментальной неврологии
spelling doaj-art-6d4848d15cbf444bb748d28ab3a4dcf72025-08-20T02:55:04ZengResearch Center of NeurologyАнналы клинической и экспериментальной неврологии2075-54732409-25332025-06-011929710210.17816/ACEN.1262738Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant EpilepsyIrina G. Areshkina0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3957-981XYuri V. Mozheiko1https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2501-5253Anna A. Usoltseva2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9678-6719Nikita P. Utyashev3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0770-2983Violetta D. Poleshchuk4https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0023-2614Diana V. Dmitrenko5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4639-6365Professor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityProfessor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityProfessor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityProfessor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityProfessor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityProfessor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical UniversityThe number of patients with successful outcomes following surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy has been rapidly increasing. This trend has heightened the relevance of addressing the appropriateness of postoperative withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AED). There are no unified guidelines regarding the optimal timing and rates for discontinuing pharmacological therapy. This article reviews the timing, rate, and specifics of AED withdrawal following surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy using two exemplary clinical cases. The decision to discontinue pharmacotherapy depends on multiple factors, including patient preferences. In cases of favorable outcomes following epilepsy surgery, AED withdrawal one year into remission is considered safe and does not affect long-term seizure outcomes in adult patients who have undergone anterior temporal lobectomy, remain completely seizure- and aura-free, and show no epileptiform activity on electroencephalography. Patients with multiple epileptogenic zones, epileptiform EEG activity, or persistent seizures/auras have less favorable prognoses regarding AED withdrawal.https://annaly-nevrologii.com/pathID/article/viewFile/1262/pdfepileptic seizuresstructural epilepsydrug resistanceepilepsy pharmacotherapyantiepileptic drug withdrawalepilepsy surgery
spellingShingle Irina G. Areshkina
Yuri V. Mozheiko
Anna A. Usoltseva
Nikita P. Utyashev
Violetta D. Poleshchuk
Diana V. Dmitrenko
Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Анналы клинической и экспериментальной неврологии
epileptic seizures
structural epilepsy
drug resistance
epilepsy pharmacotherapy
antiepileptic drug withdrawal
epilepsy surgery
title Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
title_full Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
title_fullStr Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
title_full_unstemmed Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
title_short Withdrawal of Antiepileptic Drugs Following Surgical Treatment of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
title_sort withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs following surgical treatment of drug resistant epilepsy
topic epileptic seizures
structural epilepsy
drug resistance
epilepsy pharmacotherapy
antiepileptic drug withdrawal
epilepsy surgery
url https://annaly-nevrologii.com/pathID/article/viewFile/1262/pdf
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