Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39808752›Full record

SynthesisNeurology2025

Antiseizure Medications in Poststroke Seizures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Shubham Misra, Selena Wang, Terence J Quinn, Jesse Dawson, Johan Zelano, Tomotaka Tanaka, James C Grotta, Erum Khan, Nitya Beriwal, Melissa C Funaro and 22 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

32 authors.

Shubham MisraDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.ORCID 0000-0002-4920-2573
Selena WangDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT.
Terence J QuinnInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-1401-0181
Jesse DawsonInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-7532-2475
Johan ZelanoDepartment of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9445-4545
Tomotaka TanakaDepartment of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-6023-236X
James C GrottaDepartment of Neurology, Memorial-Hermann Texas Medical Center, Houston.ORCID 0000-0002-3667-4248
Erum KhanDepartment of Neurology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.ORCID 0000-0002-1937-5270
Nitya BeriwalDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, University of Chicago, IL.
Melissa C FunaroHarvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, Yale University.ORCID 0000-0001-6846-4846
Sravan PerlaDepartment of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Priya DevDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
David LarssonDepartment of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-8334-951X
Taimoor HussainDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
David S LiebeskindDepartment of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, California.ORCID 0000-0002-5109-8736
Clarissa Lin YasudaDepartment of Neurology, University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Hamada Hamid AltalibDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.ORCID 0000-0001-7154-1400
Hitten P ZaveriDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Amr ElshahatDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Gazala HitawalaDepartment of Neurology, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore.
Ethan Y WangDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Rachel KitagawaDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Abhishek PathakDepartment of Neurology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.ORCID 0000-0002-5975-1699
Fabien ScalzoDepartment of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, California.
Masafumi IharaDepartment of Neurology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-7102-4048
Katharina S SunnerhagenDepartment of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-5940-4400
Matthew R WaltersInstitute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Yize ZhaoDepartment of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT.
Nathalie JetteDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1351-5866
Scott E KasnerDepartment of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and.ORCID 0000-0003-0418-6917
Patrick KwanDepartment of Neuroscience, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7310-276X
Nishant K MishraDepartment of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.ORCID 0000-0002-9327-3707

Funding

Short-Term Reserch Training: Students in Health SchoolsT35HL007649 · NHLBI · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Sarwat I Chaudhry, Erica L Herzog · 1987 to 2026
$5.7M
NHLBI NIH HHS T35 HL007649
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesThe most effective antiseizure medications (ASMs) for poststroke seizures (PSSs) remain unclear. We aimed to determine outcomes associated with ASMs in people with PSS.

methodsWe systematically searched electronic databases for studies on patients with PSS on ASMs. Our outcomes were seizure recurrence, adverse events, drug discontinuation rate, and mortality. We assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tools. Using levetiracetam as the reference treatment, we conducted a frequentist network meta-analysis and determined the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology.

resultsOur search yielded 15 studies (3 randomized, 12 nonrandomized, N = 18,676 patients (121 early and 18,547 late seizures), 60% male, mean age 69 years) comparing 13 ASMs. Three studies had moderate and 12 had high risk of bias. Seizure recurrence was 24.8%. Compared with levetiracetam, very low-certainty evidence suggested that phenytoin was associated with higher seizure recurrences (odds ratio [OR] 7.3, 95% CI 3.7-14.5) and more adverse events (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.2-22.9). Low-certainty evidence suggested that carbamazepine (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.2) and phenytoin (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4-2.8) were associated with high drug discontinuation rates. Moderate to high-certainty evidence suggested that valproic acid (OR 4.7, 95% CI 3.6-6.3) and phenytoin (OR 8.3, 95% CI 5.7-11.9) were associated with higher mortality rates. Considering all treatments and using the GRADE approach for treatment ranking, very low-certainty evidence suggested that eslicarbazepine, lacosamide, and levetiracetam had the fewest seizure recurrences. Low to very low-certainty evidence suggested that lamotrigine had the fewest adverse events and drug discontinuations, whereas lamotrigine and levetiracetam exhibited low mortality rates with moderate-certainty evidence. DISCUSSION: We found that levetiracetam and lamotrigine may be safe and tolerable ASMs for PSS. Despite ASM use, the seizure recurrence rate remains high in the PSS population. Owing to bias and confounding risks, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: PROSPERO: CRD42022363844.

Indexed as

AnticonvulsantsSeizuresStrokeHumansLevetiracetamAnticonvulsantsLevetiracetam

Identifiers

PMID39808752
PMCPMC13446137

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.