Poststroke Epilepsy Management With Antiseizure Medication: Carolina Ferreira Atuesta, MD, MSc

WATCH TIME: 3 minutes

“The management of a stroke is key and is very important. The fear or the risk of developing seizures should not change the patient’s decision or their need or their idea about the stroke management itself.”

In older adults, the leading cause for seizures and epilepsy is stroke. Also, for younger patients who have more severe strokes and acute symptomatic seizures, they are at higher risk of developing poststroke epilepsy in comparison with adults.¹ The management of seizures after stroke has been traditionally treated with antiseizure medications, while considering efficacy and possible adverse effects. Additionally, these considerations play a role in patient compliance with treatment decisions.

Carolina Ferreira Atuesta, MD, MSc, scientific researcher and clinical manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, sat down with NeurologyLive^® in an interview to talk about how the current research informs clinical care in regard with the concern for seizures occurring in poststroke patients. She explained the current process for treating these patients, and the use of antiseizure medications just as she did recently in a presentation at the 2022 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, held December 2 to 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

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REFERENCES
1. Galovic M, Ferreira-Atuesta C, Abraira L, et al. Seizures and Epilepsy After Stroke: Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Management. Drugs Aging. 2021;38(4):285-299. doi:10.1007/s40266-021-00837-7