“New Tool Helps Predict Epilepsy Risk After Stroke”
Researchers have been working on understanding the risk of developing epilepsy after a stroke, particularly focusing on a tool called the SeLECT 2.0 score. This score is designed to help predict whether a person who has suffered an ischemic stroke—where blood supply to the brain is blocked—might face seizures later on. In a recent study from Italy, scientists wanted to see if updating this score could make it even better at predicting post-stroke epilepsy by using the severity of the stroke after treatment, rather than just when the patient was first admitted.
The team looked back at over a thousand adults who experienced their first ischemic stroke and were treated in a specialized stroke unit. They found that out of these patients, a small number—about 6%—went on to have seizures that occurred more than a week after their stroke. By analyzing their data, the researchers compared the original SeLECT 2.0 score with a modified version that took into account the stroke’s severity after treatment, specifically at the 72-hour mark.
What they discovered was pretty exciting! The modified SeLECT 2.0 score provided a clearer picture of the risk for post-stroke epilepsy, showing improved accuracy in predicting outcomes at multiple time points, from a year to five years after the stroke. This included metrics that indicated it was better at distinguishing which patients would develop seizures. In simpler terms, updating the score to include how a person’s condition changed after treatment made it significantly more effective.
The implications of this research are important for both clinicians and patients. By refining the predictive tools available, doctors can potentially identify which patients are at higher risk of seizures post-stroke, allowing for better monitoring and preemptive care. So, this study suggests that it’s not just how bad things are initially that matters, but also how well a patient responds to treatment in the critical early days after a stroke.