Consecutive PWE who were treated at the epilepsy center of Hiroshima University Hospital between 2018 and 2021 were enrolled. The authors evaluated the incidence of seizure frequency increase or decrease following the pandemic during observational periods in 2020 and 2021. Data between 2018 and 2019 were used as a control set. The sustainability of the altered seizure frequency condition was evaluated throughout the study period. They analyzed the clinical, psychological, and social factors associated with PWE with seizure exacerbation or amelioration. Among the 223 PWE who were evaluated (mean age 37.8 ± 16.3 years), seizure frequency increased for 40 (16.8%) and decreased for 34 (15.2%) after the pandemic began. While seizure exacerbation tended to be a transient episode during 2020, seizure amelioration was likely to maintain excellent status over the observation periods; the sustainability of the altered seizure frequency condition was more prominent for amelioration than exacerbation (p < 0.001). Seizure exacerbation was significantly associated with “no housemate” (odds ratio [OR] 3.37; p = 0.045) and “comorbidity of insomnia” (OR 5.80; p = 0.004). Conversely, “structural abnormality of MRI” (OR 2.57; p = 0.039) and “two-generation householding” (OR 3.70; p = 0.004) were independently associated with seizure amelioration. The authors concluded that this longitudinal observation confirmed that seizure exacerbation and amelioration emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the stark difference that social support systems can make on outcomes for PWE.
Neshige S, Aoki S, Takebayashi Y, Shishido T, Yamazaki Y, Iida K, Maruyama H. A longitudinal seizure outcome following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021: Transient exacerbation or sustainable mitigation. J Neurol Sci. 2021 Dec 17;434:120100.
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Cross-sectional case-control studies