Early epileptiform EEG activity in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex predicts epilepsy and neurodevelopmental outcomes

Overnight Electroencephalogram to Forecast Epilepsy Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

OBJECTIVE

To establish the utility of long-term electroencephalogram (EEG) in forecasting epilepsy onset in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

STUDY DESIGN

A single-institution, retrospective analysis of children with ASD, examining long-term overnight EEG recordings collected over a period of 15 years, was conducted. Clinical EEG findings, patient demographics, medical histories, and additional Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule data were examined. Predictors for the timing of epilepsy onset were evaluated using survival analysis and Cox regression.

RESULTS

Among 151 patients, 17.2% (n = 26) developed unprovoked seizures (Sz group), while 82.8% (n = 125) did not (non-Sz group). The Sz group displayed a higher percentage of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in their initial EEGs compared with the non-Sz group (46.2% vs 20.0%, P = .01). The Sz group also exhibited a greater frequency of slowing (42.3% vs 13.6%, P < .01). The presence of IEDs or slowing predicted an earlier seizure onset, based on survival analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression revealed that the presence of any IEDs (HR 3.83, 95% CI 1.38-10.65, P = .01) or any slowing (HR 2.78, 95% CI 1.02-7.58, P = .046 significantly increased the risk of developing unprovoked seizures.

CONCLUSION

Long-term EEGs are valuable for predicting future epilepsy in children with ASD. These findings can guide clinicians in early education and potential interventions for epilepsy prevention.

Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Is Associated With TSC2 Genotype: More Findings From the Preventing Epilepsy Using Vigatrin (PREVeNT) Trial

BACKGROUND

Children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are at high risk for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The ability to stratify those at highest risk for DRE is important for counseling and prompt, aggressive management, necessary to optimize neurocognitive outcomes. Using the extensively phenotyped PREVeNT cohort, we aimed to characterize whether the TSC genotype was associated with DRE.

METHODS

The study group (N = 70) comprised participants with TSC enrolled at age less than or equal to six months with detailed epilepsy and other phenotypic and genotypic data, prospectively collected as part of the PREVeNT trial. Genotype-phenotype correlations of DRE, time to first abnormal electroencephalography, and time to epilepsy onset were compared using Fisher exact test and regression models.

RESULTS

Presence of a TSC2 pathogenic variant was significantly associated with DRE, compared with TSC1 and participants with no pathogenic mutation identified. In fact, all participants with DRE had a TSC2 pathogenic variant. Furthermore, TSC2 variants expected to result in no protein product were associated with higher risk for DRE. Finally, TSC1 pathogenic variants were associated with later-onset epilepsy, on average 21.2 months later than those with other genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a comprehensively phenotyped cohort followed from infancy, this study is the first to delineate genotype-phenotype correlations for epilepsy severity and onset in children with TSC. Patients with TSC2 pathogenic variants, especially TSC2 pathogenic variants predicted to result in lack of TSC2 protein, are at highest risk for DRE, and are likely to have earlier epilepsy onset than those with TSC1. Clinically, these insights can inform counseling, surveillance, and management.

Electroencephalographic Patterns on Follow-Up Visits in Extremely Premature Infants With Periventricular Leukomalacia: An Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a common brain injury in premature infants, and epilepsy remains a significant complication. One concerning electroencephalographic (EEG) pattern found is developmental and/or epileptic encephalopathy with spike-and-wave activation in sleep (DEE-SWAS). This pattern is associated with persistent neuropsychological and motor deficits, even without a diagnosis of epilepsy. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between various PVL grades and EEG patterns in this population on follow-up visits, especially the occurrence of DEE-SWAS pattern on EEG.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of <36 weeks gestational age newborns who were followed in the neurodevelopmental clinic at Corewell Health East/Corewell Health Children's Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, between 2020 and 2022. Patients' demographics along with prematurity complications, diagnostic head ultrasound (HUS), and EEG studies were reviewed and graded. EEG studies are usually ordered when seizures were suspected.

RESULTS

A total of 155 newborns met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six patients had PVL. Nine patients had grade 2 to 3 PVL based on HUS review. EEG was performed on 15 patients with PVL at a mean age of 22 months. More severe PVL grades were significantly associated with worse EEG patterns (P = 0.005). Five patients had DEE-SWAS pattern on EEG, all of whom had grade 2 or 3 PVL. Epilepsy was eventually diagnosed in three infants with PVL.

CONCLUSIONS

EEG can help identify important abnormal electrographic patterns in premature infants with PVL early in life; this might give a window of opportunity to intervene early and improve long-term developmental outcomes in this population.

Early Subclinical Status Epilepticus May Contribute to Developmental Delays in Infants With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

We present a case of a newborn with a prenatally discovered cardiac rhabdomyoma leading to early genetic diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). This early diagnosis prompted a presymptomatic electroencephalography (EEG) that revealed subclinical seizures meeting the definition for status epilepticus on day 1 of life. Antiseizure medications (ASMs), including vigabatrin, were started. The EPISTOP and PREVeNT trials demonstrated that early life initiation of vigabatrin may reduce the degree of refractory epilepsy and epileptic spasms (ES) in this population (TSC). Although neonatal seizures are a known entity in TSC, continuous neonatal EEG monitoring is not standard at birth. This case supports early consideration for neonatal EEG monitoring to identify and treat neonatal seizures, reduce risk for infantile spasms, and potentially improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Abnormalities of Clinical EEG: A Qualitative Review

Over the last decade, the comorbidity between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and epilepsy has been widely demonstrated, and many hypotheses regarding the common neurobiological bases of these disorders have been put forward. A variable, but significant, prevalence of abnormalities on electroencephalogram (EEG) has been documented in non-epileptic children with ASD; therefore, several scientific studies have recently tried to demonstrate the role of these abnormalities as a possible biomarker of altered neural connectivity in ASD individuals. This narrative review intends to summarize the main findings of the recent scientific literature regarding abnormalities detected with standard EEG in children/adolescents with idiopathic ASD. Research using three different databases (PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) was conducted, resulting in the selection of 10 original articles. Despite an important lack of studies on preschoolers and a deep heterogeneity in results, some authors speculated on a possible association between EEG abnormalities and ASD characteristics, in particular, the severity of symptoms. Although this correlation needs to be more strongly elucidated, these findings may encourage future studies aimed at demonstrating the role of electrical brain abnormalities as an early biomarker of neural circuit alterations in ASD, highlighting the potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value of EEG in this field.

Updated clinical recommendations for the management of tuberous sclerosis complex associated epilepsy

Children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), may experience a variety of seizure types in the first year of life, most often focal seizure sand epileptic spasms. Drug resistance is seen early in many patients, and the management of TSC associated epilepsy remain a major challenge for clinicians. In 2018 clinical recommendations for the management of TSC associated epilepsy were published by a panel of European experts. In the last five years considerable progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of epileptogenesis and three interventional randomized controlled trials have changed the therapeutic approach for the management of TSC associated epilepsy. Pre-symptomatic treatment with vigabatrin may delay seizure onset, may reduce seizure severity and reduce the risk of epileptic encephalopathy. The efficacy of mTOR inhibition with adjunctive everolimus was documented in patients with TSC associated refractory seizures and cannabidiol could be another therapeutic option. Epilepsy surgery has significantly improved seizure outcome in selected patients and should be considered early in all patients with drug resistant epilepsy. There is a need to identify patients who may have a higher risk of developing epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the recent years significant progress has been made owing to the early identification of risk factors for the development of drug-resistant epilepsy. Better understanding of the mechanism underlying epileptogenesis may improve the management for TSC-related epilepsy. Developmental neurobiology and neuropathology give opportunities for the implementation of concepts related to clinical findings, and an early genetic diagnosis and use of EEG and MRI biomarkers may improve the development of pre-symptomatic and disease-modifying strategies.

Recognizing Pediatric Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Based on Multi-Contrast MRI and Deep Weighted Fusion Network

Multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is wildly applied to identify tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) children in a clinic. In this work, a deep convolutional neural network with multi-contrast MRI is proposed to diagnose pediatric TSC. Firstly, by combining T2W and FLAIR images, a new synthesis modality named FLAIR3 was created to enhance the contrast between TSC lesions and normal brain tissues. After that, a deep weighted fusion network (DWF-net) using a late fusion strategy is proposed to diagnose TSC children. In experiments, a total of 680 children were enrolled, including 331 healthy children and 349 TSC children. The experimental results indicate that FLAIR3 successfully enhances the visibility of TSC lesions and improves the classification performance. Additionally, the proposed DWF-net delivers a superior classification performance compared to previous methods, achieving an AUC of 0.998 and an accuracy of 0.985. The proposed method has the potential to be a reliable computer-aided diagnostic tool for assisting radiologists in diagnosing TSC children.

What are the considerations when initiating treatment for epilepsy in children?

INTRODUCTION

There is a very wide spectrum of epilepsies and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies that affect children, from self-limited forms, not necessarily requiring treatment, to severe drug-resistant ones.

AREAS COVERED

In this perspective, the authors discuss the main factors to consider before drug prescription in children, considering the most recent clinical research, including age, seizure type, epilepsy syndrome, etiology, efficacy and safety profile, comorbidities, gender, available formulations, costs and drug coverage, and regulatory issues. The literature search was conducted through a PubMed search on antiseizure medications for patients aged 0-18, with respect to each of the aforementioned factors, and by checking the reference lists of relevant papers.

EXPERT OPINION

The most expanding field of research and innovation for clinical practice is precision medicine, which addresses the holistic treatment of genetic epilepsies and developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. It achieves this by addressing their detrimental effects on synapses, neurotransmission, and cellular signaling pathways with the double aim to treat seizures and to rescue neurodevelopmental trajectories, but also the issue of adverse events and drug resistance through pharmacogenomics.

The TSC2 c.2742+5G>A variant causes variable splicing changes and clinical manifestations in a family with tuberous sclerosis complex

Background

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic, variably expressed, multisystem disease characterized by benign tumors. It is caused by pathogenic variants of the TSC complex subunit 1 gene (TSC1) and the TSC complex subunit 2 gene (TSC2). Genetic testing allows for early diagnosis, genetic counseling, and improved outcomes, but it did not identify a pathogenic variant in up to 25% of all TSC patients. This study aimed to identify the disease-causing variant in a Han-Chinese family with TSC.

Methods

A six-member, three-generation Han-Chinese family with TSC and three unrelated healthy women were recruited. A comprehensive medical examination, a 3-year follow-up, whole exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and segregation analysis were performed in the family. The splicing analysis results obtained from six in silico tools, minigene assay, and patients' lymphocyte messenger RNA were compared, and quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to confirm the pathogenicity of the variant.

Results

Two affected family members had variable clinical manifestations including a rare bilateral cerebellar ataxia symptom. The 3-year follow-up results suggest the effects of a combined treatment of anti-epilepsy drugs and sirolimus for TSC-related epilepsy and cognitive deficits. Whole exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, segregation analysis, splicing analysis, and quantitative reverse transcription PCR identified the TSC2 gene c.2742+5G>A variant as the genetic cause. This variant inactivated the donor splice site, a cryptic non-canonical splice site was used for different splicing changes in two affected subjects, and the resulting mutant messenger RNA may be degraded by nonsense-mediated decay. The defects of in silico tools and minigene assay in predicting cryptic splice sites were suggested.

Conclusions

This study identified a TSC2 c.2742+5G>A variant as the genetic cause of a Han-Chinese family with TSC and first confirmed its pathogenicity. These findings expand the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of TSC and may contribute to its diagnosis and treatment, as well as a better understanding of the splicing mechanism.

Learnings in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies: what do we know?

INTRODUCTION

Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs) encompass a group of neurological disorders caused by either abnormal neuronal development and white matter maturation or even by weak synaptic plasticity. Hitherto, patients commonly have epileptic seizures featuring cognitive dysfunction, such as neurosensory disorders, difficulties in learning, behavioral disturbances, or speech delay.

AREAS COVERED

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current knowledge of DEEs and cognition. Medline/Pubmed database was screened for in-English articles published between 1967-2022 dealing with the topic of DEEs and cognitive development. Two authors independently screened the title and abstract of each record and reviewed the selected articles. Reviews, randomized clinical trials, and case reports were selected.

EXPERT OPINION

Scientific literature has never explicitly dealt with the early neuro-psychomotor rehabilitation and neuropsychological assessment of patients with DEEs. Targeted intervention and environmental stimuli can influence the maturation of neuronal circuits and shape changes in physical and mental development based on neuronal plasticity, particularly if applied in 'critical periods' liable to heightened sensitivity. Thus, 'early neurorehabilitation interventions' are worthy of being more and more applied to clinical practice to improve the quality of life and reduce the psychosocial burden on families and caregivers.

Tuberous sclerosis complex and epilepsy in infancy: prevention and early diagnosis

Numerous studies showed that epilepsy represents a high burden in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), affecting 63 to 78% of the patients. Epilepsy will be refractory to medication in over 60% of cases in early presentations, and accompanied by intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders. The emerging experimental and clinical data suggest that the molecular and cellular changes triggered by seizures, particularly during the first weeks of life, can be limited by early action. Making any effort to avoid or delay epilepsy onset is a promising pathway to improve global outcome for TSC patients, although it is not possible to tidy up the specific roles of seizures, interictal abnormalities, and cortical abnormalities upon neurodevelopment. Early diagnosis of epilepsy can be made during a "symptomatic phase," shortly after the onset of seizures (focal seizures or spasms), revealing the TSC in a young infant. As soon as the diagnosis is made, a treatment with Vigabatrin is now recommended. The diagnosis of epilepsy can also be performed during a "presymptomatic phase", with the improvement of fetal and neonatal diagnosis of TSC. Recent studies demonstrated a significant delay of more than 3 months between the detection of EEG abnormalities and the first clinical seizures, which allows to consider a preventive treatment. Beside vigabatrin, mTOR inhibitors may have a place in this early management. The last recommendations about early detection and treatment of epilepsy in TSC will be detailed in this review. © 2022 French Society of Pediatrics. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

EEG-Findings during long-term treatment with Everolimus in TSC-associated and therapy-resistant epilepsies in children

AIM

This prospective observational study evaluated the long-term EEG changes in children treated with everolimus (EVO) for refractory TSC-associated epilepsy. Changes in EEG-abnormalities were related to developmental outcomes.

METHODS

Thirteen children treated with EVO were examined for EEG-recorded seizures and interictal epileptic discharges (IED) during a 72-hour-video-EEG-monitoring, which was performed at baseline and repeated at follow-up intervals of at least 9 months. Antiseizure medication was left unchanged for at least 27 months. Changes in cognitive developmental parameters were related to reduction of seizures and IED at the last monitoring.

RESULTS

We found a significant reduction of recorded seizures and IED during sleep at the first as well as the last follow-up recording. The reduction of IED was especially prominent during sleep. For patients who continued for more than one monitoring under EVO (n = 8), number of seizures further decreased. In patients with developmental examination (n = 9), we observed that only (nearly) full cessation of IED was related to acquisition of new skills.

DISCUSSION

In children with TSC, EVO was effective in reducing recorded seizures and IED; long-term EVO treatment led to a more pronounced reduction and an improvement of nocturnal IED even when the patient was initially not seizure-free. Cessation of IED in children with developmental improvement may point to the importance of healthy sleep for cognition.

Evolution of electroencephalogram in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex and neurodevelopmental outcome: a prospective cohort study

AIM

To describe the evolution of electroencephalogram (EEG) characteristics in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and the relationship with neurodevelopmental outcome at 24 months.

METHOD

Eighty-three infants were enrolled in the EPISTOP trial and underwent serial EEG follow-up until the age of 24 months (males n=45, females n=37, median age at enrolment 28d, interquartile range 14-54d). Maturation of the EEG background and epileptiform discharges were compared between the TSC1 and TSC2 variants and between preventive and conventional groups respectively.

RESULTS

Children with TSC2 more frequently had a slower posterior dominant rhythm (PDR) at 24 months (51% vs 11%, p=0.002), a higher number of epileptiform foci (median=8 vs 4, p=0.003), and a lower fraction of EEGs without epileptiform discharges (18% vs 61%, p=0.001) at follow-up. A slower PDR at 24 months was significantly associated with lower cognitive (median=70 vs 80, p=0.028) and motor developmental quotients (median=70 vs 79, p=0.008). A higher fraction of EEGs without epileptiform discharges was associated with a lower probability of autism spectrum disorder symptoms (odds ratio=0.092, 95% confidence interval=0.009-0.912, p=0.042) and higher cognitive (p=0.004), language (p=0.002), and motor (p=0.001) developmental quotients at 24 months.

INTERPRETATION

TSC2 is associated with more abnormal EEG characteristics compared to TSC1, which are predictive for neurodevelopmental outcome.

Epilepsy Management in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Existing and Evolving Therapies and Future Considerations

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare autosomal dominant condition that affects multiple body systems. Disruption of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway results in abnormal cell growth, proliferation, protein synthesis, and cell differentiation and migration in TSC. In the central nervous system, mTOR disruption is also believed to influence neuronal excitability and promote epileptogenesis. Epilepsy is the most common neurological manifestation of TSC and affects 80% to 90% of individuals with high rates of treatment resistance (up to 75%). The onset of epilepsy in the majority of individuals with TSC occurs before the age of two years, which is a critical time in neurodevelopment. Both medically refractory epilepsy and early-onset epilepsy are associated with intellectual disability in TSC, while seizure control and remission are associated with lower rates of cognitive impairment. Our current knowledge of the treatment of epilepsy in TSC has expanded immensely over the last decade. Several new therapies such as preemptive vigabatrin therapy in infants, cannabidiol, and mTOR inhibitors have emerged in recent years for the treatment of epilepsy in TSC. This review will provide clinicians with a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies available for the treatment of epilepsy related to TSC.

Risk Factors Associated with Refractory Epilepsy in Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy affects 70-90% of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). In one-third of them, the seizures become refractory to treatment. Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) carries a significant educational, social, cognitive, and economic burden. Therefore, determining risk factors that increase the odds of refractory seizures is needed. We reviewed current data on risk factors associated with DRE in patients with tuberous sclerosis.

METHODS

The review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrial.gov databases were searched. Only full-text journal articles on patients with TSC which defined risk factors related to DRE were included.

RESULTS

Twenty articles were identified, with a cohort size between 6 and 1546. Seven studies were prospective. Three factors appear to significantly increase DRE risk: TSC2 mutation, infantile spasms, and a high number of cortical tubers.

CONCLUSIONS

A proper MRI and EEG monitoring, along with genetic testing, and close observation of individuals with early onset of seizures, allow identification of the patients at risk of DRE.

Could prevention of infantile spasms have been possible in a historical cohort of 31 tuberous sclerosis patients?

Efforts to prevent epilepsy in infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) has been the focus of EPISTOP.

PURPOSE

The present study was carried out to evaluate whether prevention could have been realistic.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis by hospital chart review of 31 patients with TSC and infantile spasms (practically all patients) admitted to two tertiary hospitals, Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki and Kuopio in 1980-2000. Clinical history, early cognitive development, early clinical signs of TSC, clinical signs of suspicious seizures, first seizures and EEG, response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy, EEG and brain imaging were evaluated.

RESULTS

Early development prior the spasms was apparently normal in 25 (80%). The first EEG ever performed for a child showed hypsarrhythmia in 16 (51%) or modified hypsarrhythmia in 10 (32%). Treatment lag was short (0-4, mean 2 weeks) and the primary response to ACTH favorable in 19 (64%). Etiological diagnostic workup of IS revealed TSC. In one single case (3%) the diagnosis of TSC could be made at birth due to a congenital cardiac rhabdomyoma. Three other rhabomyomas were diagnosed later. In brain imaging, subependymal periventricular calcifications or hypodense areas were seen in every patient at onset of IS. Other organ manifestations of TSC were retinal phakomas (6), polycystic kidneys (2), and renal angiolipomatosis (1).

CONCLUSIONS

Preventive treatment of epileptic discharges could have been possible in a single case of neonatal rhabdomyoma suggesting that preventive treatment is challenging in everyday practice. The main obstacle is the delay of TSC diagnosis.

Updated International Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Diagnostic Criteria and Surveillance and Management Recommendations

BACKGROUND

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease affecting multiple body systems with wide variability in presentation. In 2013, Pediatric Neurology published articles outlining updated diagnostic criteria and recommendations for surveillance and management of disease manifestations. Advances in knowledge and approvals of new therapies necessitated a revision of those criteria and recommendations.

METHODS

Chairs and working group cochairs from the 2012 International TSC Consensus Group were invited to meet face-to-face over two days at the 2018 World TSC Conference on July 25 and 26 in Dallas, TX, USA. Before the meeting, working group cochairs worked with group members via e-mail and telephone to (1) review TSC literature since the 2013 publication, (2) confirm or amend prior recommendations, and (3) provide new recommendations as required.

RESULTS

Only two changes were made to clinical diagnostic criteria reported in 2013: "multiple cortical tubers and/or radial migration lines" replaced the more general term "cortical dysplasias," and sclerotic bone lesions were reinstated as a minor criterion. Genetic diagnostic criteria were reaffirmed, including highlighting recent findings that some individuals with TSC are genetically mosaic for variants in TSC1 or TSC2. Changes to surveillance and management criteria largely reflected increased emphasis on early screening for electroencephalographic abnormalities, enhanced surveillance and management of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, and new medication approvals.

CONCLUSIONS

Updated TSC diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations presented here should provide an improved framework for optimal care of those living with TSC and their families.

Pharmacotherapy for Seizures in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Epilepsy is one of the main symptoms affecting the lives of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), causing a high rate of morbidity. Individuals with TSC can present with various types of seizures, epilepsies, and epilepsy syndromes that can coexist or appear in relation to age. Focal epilepsy is the most frequent epilepsy type with two developmental and epileptic encephalopathies: infantile spasms syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Active screening and early management of epilepsy is recommended in individuals with TSC to limit its consequences and its impact on quality of life, cognitive outcome and the economic burden of the disease. The progress in the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying epilepsy in TSC has paved the way for new concepts in the management of epilepsy related to TSC. In addition, we are moving from traditional "reactive" and therapeutic choices with current antiseizure medications used after the onset of seizures, to a proactive approach, aimed at predicting and preventing epileptogenesis and the onset of epilepsy with vigabatrin, and to personalized treatments with mechanistic therapies, namely mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors. Indeed, epilepsy linked to TSC is one of the only epilepsies for which a predictive and preventive approach can delay seizure onset and improve seizure response. However, the efficacy of such interventions on long-term cognitive and psychiatric outcomes is still under investigation.