Objective: Post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures are an important risk factor: 20.8–34.3% of these patients will go on to develop PSE. Identifying these “high risk” individuals may result in earlier PSE diagnosis, treatment, and avoidance of seizure-related morbidity. This study was to identify predictors of PSE development in patients with stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures.Participants and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 167 patients with stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures admitted to the Neurology Department of a tertiary Hospital of China, from 1 May 2006 to 30 January 2020. Both those with primary ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage were included in the study. Patient demographics, medical history, stroke-associated, and seizure-related variables were evaluated with univariable analysis and multivariable Cox regression analysis. PSE was defined as unprovoked seizures occurring > 7 days post-stroke. Data points were extracted from medical records and supplemented by tele-interview.Results: Of the 167 patients with stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures, 49 (29.3%) developed PSE. NIHSS score > 14 [hazard ratio (HR) 2.98, 95% CI 1.57–5.67], longer interval from stroke to acute symptomatic seizures (days 4–7 post-stroke) (HR 2.51, 95% CI 1.37–4.59) and multiple acute symptomatic seizures (HR 5.08, 95% CI 2.58–9.99) were independently associated with PSE development. This association remained in the sub-analysis within the ischemic stroke cohort. In the sub-analysis of the hemorrhagic stroke cohort, multilobar involvement (HR 4.80, 95% CI 1.49–15.39) was also independently associated with development of PSE. Further, we developed a nomogram to predict individual risk of developing PSE following stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures. The nomogram showed a C-index of 0.73.Conclusion: More severe neurofunctional deficits (NIHSS score > 14), longer interval from stroke to acute symptomatic seizures (days 4–7 post-stroke), and multiple acute symptomatic seizures were independently associated with development of PSE in patients with stroke-associated acute symptomatic seizures. This knowledge may increase clinical vigilance for development of PSE, facilitating rapid diagnosis and treatment initiation, and subsequently reduce seizure-related morbidity.

No abstract

PurposeThe association between minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for hematoma evacuation and late seizures after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate whether MIS increases the risk of late seizures after ICH and identify the risk factors for late seizures in this patient subgroup.MethodsWe retrospectively included consecutive inpatients diagnosed with ICH at two tertiary hospitals in China. The subjects were divided into the MIS group (ICH patients who received MIS including hematoma aspiration and thrombolysis) and conservative treatment group (ICH patients who received conservative medication). Propensity score matching was performed to balance possible risk factors for late seizures between the MIS and conservative treatment groups. Before and after matching, between-group comparisons of the incidence of late seizures were performed between the MIS and conservative treatment groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for late seizures in MIS-treated patients.ResultsA total of 241 and 1,689 patients were eligible for the MIS and conservative treatment groups, respectively. After matching, 161 ICH patients from the MIS group were successfully matched with 161 ICH patients from the conservative treatment group (1:1). Significant differences (p < 0.001) were found between the MIS group (31/241, 12.9%) and conservative treatment group (69/1689, 4.1%) in the incidence of late seizures before matching. However, after matching, no significant differences (p = 0.854) were found between the MIS group (17/161, 10.6%) and conservative treatment group (16/161, 9.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that cortical involvement (OR = 2.547; 95% CI = 1.137–5.705; p value = 0.023) and higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (OR = 1.050; 95% CI = 1.008–1.094; p value = 0.019) were independent risk factors for late seizures.ConclusionOur study revealed that receiving MIS did not increase the incidence of late seizures after ICH. Additionally, cortical involvement and NIHSS scores were independent risk factors for late seizures in MIS-treated patients.