Abstract

Many epileptologists would agree with Gowers that seizures beget seizures. But are they always right? The answer is no, according to a randomised controlled trial by Marson et al. They deferred treatment in patients (mostly teenagers and young adults) with early epilepsy and single seizures and found that the remission rate at five years was no different compared with those in whom treatment was started immediately. Immediate treatment did increase time to first and second seizure and resulted in an earlier two year remission but there was no difference between the two groups at five years.

Lancet2005; 365; 2007–13

Black patients with first ever stroke are more likely to survive than white patients, finds a population based stroke register in South London. The researchers looked at over 2000 patients with first stroke, but noted that those aged over 65 and those with a prior Barthel score less than