Background Neurological COVID-19 disease has been reported widely, but published studies often lack information on neurological outcomes and prognostic risk factors. We aimed to describe the spectrum of neurological disease in hospitalised COVID-19 patients; characterise clinical outcomes; and investigate factors associated with a poor outcome. Methods We conducted an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis of hospitalised patients with neurological COVID-19 disease, using standard case definitions. We invited authors of studies from the first pandemic wave, plus clinicians in the Global COVID-Neuro Network with unpublished data, to contribute. We analysed features associated with poor outcome (moderate to severe disability or death, 3 to 6 on the modified Rankin Scale) using multivariable models. Results We included 83 studies (31 unpublished) providing IPD for 1979 patients with COVID-19 and acute new-onset neurological disease. Encephalopathy (978 [49%] patients) and cerebrovascular events (506 [26%]) were the most common diagnoses. Respiratory and systemic symptoms preceded neurological features in 93% of patients; one third developed neurological disease after hospital admission. A poor outcome was more common in patients with cerebrovascular events (76% [95% CI 67–82]), than encephalopathy (54% [42–65]). Intensive care use was high (38% [35–41]) overall, and also greater in the cerebrovascular patients. In the cerebrovascular, but not encephalopathic patients, risk factors for poor outcome included breathlessness on admission and elevated D-dimer. Overall, 30-day mortality was 30% [27–32]. The hazard of death was comparatively lower for patients in the WHO European region. Interpretation Neurological COVID-19 disease poses a considerable burden in terms of disease outcomes and use of hospital resources from prolonged intensive care and inpatient admission; preliminary data suggest these may differ according to WHO regions and country income levels. The different risk factors for encephalopathy and stroke suggest different disease mechanisms which may be amenable to intervention, especially in those who develop neurological symptoms after hospital admission.

SUMMARYObjectives: To verify the net effect of seizures after stroke on the use of in-hospital health care resources. Methods: Consecutive patients with first-ever stroke were admitted to the stroke unit of a Moscow hospital and followed prospectively until death or discharge. Each patient experiencing seizures was matched for age, sex, stroke type, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, and stroke risk factors to 2+ patients with no seizures, as controls. Resources consumed included length of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), diagnostic tests, medical consultations and treatments. Cost estimates were based on the Russian National Health Service perspective. Results: The sample comprised 30 patients with in-hospital seizures and 70 matched controls. Patients dying in hospital were 15 of 30 (50%) versus 4 of 70 (5.7%) (p < 0.001). The overall cost of hospital stay was only slightly (nonsignificantly) higher in patients with seizures, but the cost was significantly higher in patients who died than in patients who were discharged alive. Compared to the controls, patients with seizures spent more intensive care unit (ICU) days and required more computed tomography (CT) scans, x-rays, endoscopies, and specialist consultations, causing higher inhospital costs. Significance: In patients with first-ever stroke, seizures per se do not increase the overall in-hospital costs. However, the higher than expected mortality in patients with seizures is associated with additional hospital costs. KEY WORDS: Seizures, Epilepsy, Stroke, Direct costs, Treatment, Russia.Seizures and epilepsy are a common complication of stroke. Early (acute symptomatic) seizures tend to occur in up to 6% of cases 1-3 and late (unprovoked) seizures in 2-4%, 4 carrying increased morbidity and mortality after stroke.5 In Russia, cerebrovascular disease was identified as the etiology of epilepsy in 12.3% of cases with localizationrelated epilepsies, with the highest proportion (15%) in the western areas of the country, including Moscow. 6 Risk factors for seizures and epilepsy include stroke severity, cortical lesions, and type and degree of functional disability. 3,7,8 These factors, along with comorbidities in patients presenting seizures after stroke, may partly explain at least the more ominous prognosis, and consequently the burden of the disease and its costs, in patients with poststroke seizures and epilepsy compared to individuals who do not develop seizures.A disabling stroke is associated with higher direct costs. 9Epilepsy itself is a substantial socioeconomic burden at different levels in Europe. 10 However, in published reports, the net effect of epilepsy and seizures on the outcome of the disease and resource consumption has not been disentangled

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Epilepsy surgery is effective in 30–85% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, risk factors associated with favorable and unfavorable outcomes of epilepsy surgery need to be further evaluated. We present the outcome of the large epilepsy surgery cohort in Russian Federation.Purpose: evaluation of risk factors of favorable and unfavorable long-term outcomes in the Russian cohort of drugresistant patients with epilepsy.Material and methods. Three hundred and eight patients with structural drug-resistant epilepsy were operated by the neurosurgery team of Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry. Presurgical investigations and surgeries were performed by this team between 01.01.2014 and 31.12.2020. All patients underwent neurological and neuropsychological evaluation, seizure semiology assessment, neuroimaging and neurophysiological examination. Histological analysis of resected tissues was performed. Results of surgery were assessed according to J. Engel (1993) at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 60 months after surgery. Risk factors, associated with favorable (Engel I–II) and unfavorable (Engel III–IV) outcomes were evaluated.Results. Underwent 308 primary resection procedures, placement of a vagus nerve stimulator were in 41 patients, 9 patients have been repeated by resection procedures and 8 — underwent radiosurgical treatment. 256 (83%) patients were MR-positive, 53 (17%) — MR-negative. Temporal lesions were revealed in 186 (60%) patients, extratemporal — in 8 (3%), bilateral temporal — in 15 (5%), combination of temporal and extra-temporal — in 81 (26%), multifocal — in 16 (5%), generalized form in 2 (1%). In 12 months after surgery there were favorable outcomes (Engel I + II) in 85% of patients (n = 148), in 24 months — 70% (n = 127). In patients with MRI positive and negative lesions the result of surgery after 12 months was comparable. Postoperative complications were diagnosed in 6 (1.9%) patients, there were no mortality. Temporal plus epilepsy (p = 0.009), multifocal (p = 0.008) and bilateral lesions (p = 0.006) were the most significant risk factors of unfavorable surgery outcomes.Conclusion. The presented results confirm the efficiency of surgical treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Temporal plus form epilepsy, multifocal and bilateral lesions were the most significant risk factors of unfavorable surgery outcomes.

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