Predictors of Pharmaco-Resistance in Patients with Post-Stroke Epilepsy

Objectives: The study aimed to explore the clinical predictors of pharmaco-resistance in patients with post-stroke epilepsy (PSE).

Methods: Patients with epilepsy secondary to cerebral infarct or spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage were included. The study outcome was the occurrence of pharmaco-resistance defined as the failure of adequate trials of two tolerated and appropriately chosen and used antiseizure medication schedules, whether as monotherapies or in combination, to achieve sustained seizure freedom.

Results: One-hundred and fifty-nine patients with PSE and a median follow-up of 5 (3-9) years were included. The mean age of the patients at stroke onset was 56.7 (14.9) years, and 104 (65.4%) were males. In the study cohort, 29 participants were pharmaco-resistant. Age at stroke onset [odds ratio (OR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-0.99; = 0.044], history of intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.06-8.24; = 0.039), severe stroke (OR 5.43, 95% CI 1.82-16.16; = 0.002), status epilepticus as initial presentation of PSE (OR 7.90, 1.66-37.55; = 0.009), and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.16-8.79; = 0.025) were independent predictors of treatment refractoriness.

Conclusions: Pharmaco-resistance developed in approximately 20% of patients with PSE and was associated with younger age at stroke onset, stroke type and severity, status epilepticus occurrence, and seizure types.