Pharmaco-resistant epilepsies : A review

Abstract

Despite the availability of numerous effective antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), about one-third of patients with epilepsy continue to have frequent seizures during treatment. There are some factors that have been repeatedly identified as potential predictors of refractory epilepsy. There are several researches to understand the mechanisms of drug-resistance in literature. Drug-resistant epilepsy is often a chronic problem, associated with increased psychosocial and physical morbidity. Identifying clinical predictors for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy early in the course of the disorder may be important for directing patients to an effective non-pharmacologic treatment, such as surgery, ketogenic diet or vagus nerve stimulation.