Thinking And Language Challenges Often Seen In Dravet Syndrome
This paper was a systematic review, which means the authors gathered and summarized earlier studies rather than testing a new treatment.
Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
This hub covers drug-resistant epilepsy: When seizures aren’t controlled after trying two appropriate medicines. Research-backed next steps on diet therapies, devices, surgery evaluation, and safety.
What you’ll find in this topic:
- Plain-language summaries of new epilepsy studies
- What the research means for real life
- Practical questions to ask your neurologist
- Related topics you can explore next
Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: What Families Usually Want to Know
- What “drug-resistant” means (and what it doesn’t)
- When to ask for an epilepsy center referral
- Treatment options beyond meds (diet, devices, surgery)
- How to think about risk, safety, and quality of life
Options Beyond Medication in Plain English
- Ketogenic diet / modified Atkins: Nutrition therapy that can reduce seizures
- VNS / RNS / DBS: Devices that modulate brain activity
- Surgery evaluations: Tests to see if seizures start in one removable area
- Rescue meds: Fast meds for clusters/prolonged seizures
- Sleep + triggers: Sometimes a meaningful lever (especially in teens)
Related Topics
Drug-Resistant Epilepsy FAQ
When should we consider surgery?
If seizures aren’t controlled after two meds, it’s worth at least an evaluation at an epilepsy center.
Is VNS a “last resort?”
Not necessarily. Some familiar consider it earlier depending on seizure type and goals.
Can seizures still improve later?
Yes. Treatment response can change over time, and combinations/approaches matter.
What should we track?
Seizure frequency, triggers, sleep, missed meds, side effects, and rescue med use.
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Drug-Resistant Epilepsy | Epilepsy Research Summaries | Genetics | Imaging & EEG | New Studies | Pediatrics
Repeat Brain Monitoring Can Help Guide Epilepsy Surgery
This study looked at children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) who had drug-resistant epilepsy and underwent epilepsy surgery at one hospital.
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Drug-Resistant Epilepsy | Epilepsy Research Summaries | Genetics | New Studies | Pediatrics | Safety & First Aid
Cenobamate Helped Many Children With Hard-To-Treat Epilepsy
This study looked at cenobamate, a seizure medicine, used “off label” in children and teens with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Some Children And Families Improve More After Epilepsy Surgery
This study looked at children ages 4 to 18 with drug-resistant epilepsy who were being evaluated for epilepsy surgery, along with their parents.
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Drug-Resistant Epilepsy | Epilepsy Research Summaries | Genetics | Ketogenic Diet | New Studies | Pediatrics
Keto Diets May Reduce Seizures In Hard-To-Treat Epilepsy
This paper was a systematic review of randomized controlled trials on ketogenic diet therapies for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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One In Four With Epilepsy Had Functional Seizures
This study looked at people age 16 and older with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) who were admitted to one hospital’s epilepsy monitoring unit for inpatient video-EEG between 2008 and 2024.
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New Brain Signal May Help Pinpoint Epilepsy Areas
Researchers looked for extremely fast brain-wave events in people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Fasting With MCT Oil May Help Hard-To-Treat Seizures
This study looked at whether a less restrictive diet approach might help adults with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Brain Scan Combo Better Finds Seizure Source Before Surgery
This study looked at whether magnetoencephalographic source imaging (MSI) adds diagnostic value for finding the brain area where seizures start in people with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.
