Outpatient EEG in Routine Clinical Care of Patients With Stroke-Related Acute Symptomatic Seizure Concerns.

PURPOSE: Acute symptomatic seizures (ASyS) after stroke contribute the highest risk to poststroke epilepsy (PSE) development. We investigated the use of outpatient EEG (oEEG) among stroke patients with ASyS concerns. METHODS: Adults with acute stroke, ASyS concerns (underwent cEEG), and outpatient clinical follow-up were included (study population). Patients with oEEG (oEEG cohort) were analyzed for electrographic findings. Univariable and multivariable analyses helped identify predictors of oEEG use in routine clinical care. RESULTS: Among 507 patients, 83 (16.4%) underwent oEEG. The independent predictors of oEEG utilization included age (OR = 1.03 [1.01 to 1.05, P = 0.01]), electrographic ASyS on cEEG (OR 3.9 [1.77 to 8.9], P < 0.001), ASMs at discharge (OR 3.6 [1.9 to 6.6], P < 0.001), PSE development (OR 6.6 [3.5 to 12.6], P < 0.001), and follow-up duration (OR = 1.01 [1.002 to 1.02], P = 0.016). Almost 40% of oEEG cohort developed PSE, but only 12% had epileptiform abnormalities. Close to a quarter (23%) of oEEGs were within normal limits. CONCLUSIONS: One in six patients with ASyS concern after stroke undergoes oEEG. Electrographic ASyS, PSE development, and ASM at discharge are primary drivers of oEEG use. While PSE drives oEEG use, we need systematic, prospective investigation of outpatient EEG's role as prognostic tool for PSE development.

Impact of acute symptomatic seizures and their management on patient-reported outcomes after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Acute symptomatic seizures (ASyS) after stroke are not uncommon. However, the impact of ASyS and its management with anti-seizure medications (ASMs) on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) remains poorly investigated. The objective of our study is to evaluate the association between PROMs and ASyS and ASMs following stroke. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all stroke patients who underwent inpatient continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring performed due to suspected ASyS, including the ones with observed convulsive ASyS, from 04/01/2012 to 03/31/2018, who completed PROMs within 6 months of hospital discharge. Patient-reported outcome measures, including one Neuro-QoL and six PROMIS v1.0 domain scales, were completed by patients as the standard of care in ambulatory stroke clinics. Since ASMs are sometimes used without clearly diagnosed ASyS, we performed group comparisons based on ASM status at discharge, irrespective of their ASyS status. T-tests or Wilcoxon rank sum tests compared continuous variables across groups and chi-square tests or Fisher's exact tests were used for categorical variables. RESULTS: A total of 508 patients were included in the study [mean age 62.0 ± 14.1 years, 51.6% female; 244 (48.0%) ischemic stroke, 165 (32.5%) intracerebral hemorrhage, and 99 (19.5%) subarachnoid hemorrhage]. A total of 190 (37.4%) patients were discharged on ASMs. At the time of the first PROM, conducted a median of 47 (IQR = 33-78) days after the suspected ASyS, and 162 (31.9%) were on ASMs. ASM use was significantly higher in patients diagnosed with ASyS. Physical Function and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities were the most affected health domains. Patient-reported outcome measures were not significantly different between groups based on ASyS (electrographic and/or convulsive), ASM use at hospital discharge, or ASM status on the day of PROM completion. SIGNIFICANCE: There were no differences in multiple domain-specific PROMs in patients with recent stroke according to ASyS status or ASM use suggesting the possible lack of the former's sensitivity to detect their impact. Additional research is necessary to determine if there is a need for developing ASyS-specific PROMs.

Acute Symptomatic Seizure Associated With Chronic Antiseizure Medication Use After Stroke.

Background and Objective: Patients with acute symptomatic seizures (ASyS) after stroke are discharged on antiseizure medications (ASMs) and stay on them for an extended period. We analyzed the current ASM management practice, 6 months, and at the last follow-up after stroke-related ASyS concerns to identify chronic and long-term ASM use predictors. Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study of adults who underwent continuous EEG monitoring for ASyS concerns after stroke (April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2018) with at least 6 months of follow-up was performed. ASM use beyond 6 months after the initial ASyS concern was defined as "chronic" among patients discharged on them. "Long-term" ASM use at the last follow-up in all patients with ASyS concerns was analyzed. Logistic regression and Cox regression multivariable modeling to analyze predictors of "chronic" and "long-term" ASM use, respectively, was performed. Results: A total of 465 (mean age 61.7 ± 13.3 years and 52% female patients) patients (41.9% ischemic stroke, 36.1% intracerebral hemorrhage, and 21.9% subarachnoid hemorrhage) were included. Of the 179 (38.5%) patients discharged on ASMs, 132 (73.7%; 28.4% of study population) had chronic ASM use, despite 90% not experiencing any seizure (poststroke epilepsy [PSE]) during this time. The independent predictors of chronic ASM use were electrographic ASyS (odds ratio [OR] = 9.27, 95% CI = 2.53-60.4) and female sex (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.02-4.83). After a median 61-month (5.1 years) follow-up, 101 (21.7%) patients in the study population were on long-term ASM use, including 67 (14.4%) who developed PSE. Long-term ASM use was associated with NIH Stroke Scale Score (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.015-1.98), cortical involvement (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02-1.6), convulsive ASyS (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.02-2.09), epileptiform findings on outpatient EEG (OR = 4.03, 95% CI = 1.28-12.76), and PSE development (OR = 7.06, 95% CI = 3.7-13.4). Discussion: Chronic ASM use is highly associated with electrographic, rather than convulsive, ASyS. However, long-term ASM use is independently associated with PSE and its risk factors, including convulsive ASyS. With the ubiquity of stroke-related ASyS concerns in routine clinical practice, comparative effectiveness studies to guide ASM management are needed.

Acute epileptiform abnormalities are the primary predictors of post-stroke epilepsy: a matched, case-control study.

Stroke patients who underwent continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring within 7 days of presentation and developed post-stroke epilepsy (PSE; cases, n = 36) were matched (1:2 ratio) by age and follow-up duration with ones who did not (controls, n = 72). Variables significant on univariable analysis [hypertension, smoking, hemorrhagic conversion, pre-cEEG convulsive seizures, and epileptiform abnormalities (EAs)] were included in the multivariable logistic model and only the presence of EAs on EEG remained significant PSE predictor [OR = 11.9 (1.75-491.6)]. With acute EAs independently predicting PSE development, accounting for their presence may help to tailor post-acute symptomatic seizure management and aid anti-epileptogenesis therapy trials.

Long-term continuation of anti-seizure medications after acute stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors associated with the long-term continuation of anti-seizure medications (ASMs) in acute stroke patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of stroke patients with concern for acute symptomatic seizures (ASySs) during hospitalization who subsequently visited the poststroke clinic. All patients had continuous EEG (cEEG) monitoring. We generated a multivariable logistic regression model to analyze the factors associated with the primary outcome of continued ASM use after the first poststroke clinic visit. RESULTS: A total of 507 patients (43.4% ischemic stroke, 35.7% intracerebral hemorrhage, and 20.9% aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage) were included. Among them, 99 (19.5%) suffered from ASySs, 110 (21.7%) had epileptiform abnormalities (EAs) on cEEG, and 339 (66.9%) had neither. Of the 294 (58%) patients started on ASMs, 171 (33.7%) were discharged on them, and 156 (30.3% of the study population; 53.1% of patients started on ASMs) continued ASMs beyond the first poststroke clinic visit [49.7 (±31.7) days after cEEG]. After adjusting for demographical, stroke- and hospitalization-related variables, the only independent factors associated with the primary outcome were admission to the NICU [Odds ratio (OR) 0.37 (95% CI 0.15-0.9)], the presence of ASySs [OR 20.31(95% CI 9.45-48.43)], and EAs on cEEG [OR 2.26 (95% CI 1.14-4.58)]. INTERPRETATION: Almost a third of patients with poststroke ASySs concerns may continue ASMs for the long term, including more than half started on them acutely. Admission to the NICU may lower the odds, and ASySs (convulsive or electrographic) and EAs on cEEG significantly increase the odds of long-term ASM use.

Post-acute symptomatic seizure (PASS) clinic: A continuity of care model for patients impacted by continuous EEG monitoring.

OBJECTIVE: We present a model for the outpatient care of patients undergoing continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring during a hospitalization, named the post-acute symptomatic seizure (PASS) clinic. We investigated whether establishing this clinic led to improved access to epileptologist care. METHODS: As part of the PASS clinic initiative, electronic health record (EHR) provides an automated alert to the inpatient care team discharging adults on first time antiepileptic drug (AED) after undergoing cEEG monitoring. The alert explains the rationale and facilitates scheduling for a PASS clinic appointment, three-month after discharge, along with a same-day extended (75 minutes) EEG. We compared the initial epilepsy clinic visits by patients undergoing cEEG in 2017, before ("Pre-PASS" period and cohort) and after ("PASS" period and cohort) the alert went live in the EHR. RESULTS: Of the 170 patients included, 68 (40%) suffered a seizure during the mean follow-up of 20.9 ± 10 months. AEDs were stopped or reduced in 66 out of 148 (44.6%) patients discharged on AEDs. Pre-PASS cohort included 45 patients compared to 145 patients in the PASS cohort, accounting for 5.8% and 9.9% of patients, respectively, who underwent cEEG during the corresponding periods (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.26-2.54, P = .001). The two cohorts did not differ in terms of electrographic or clinical seizures. The PASS cohort was significantly more likely to be followed up within 1-6 months of discharge (OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 2.1-10.1, P < .001) and have a pre-clinic EEG (51.2% vs 11.1%; OR = 8.39, 95% CI = 3.1-22.67, P < .001). SIGNIFICANCE: PASS clinic, a unique outpatient transition of care model for managing patients at risk of acute symptomatic seizure led to an almost twofold increase in access to an epileptologist. Future research should address the wide knowledge gap about the best post-hospital discharge management practices for these patients.