AntiEpileptic drug Monitoring in PREgnancy (EMPiRE): a double-blind randomised trial on effectiveness and acceptability of monitoring strategies.

Background: Pregnant women with epilepsy on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may experience a reduction in serum AED levels. This has the potential to worsen seizure control.

Objective: To determine if, in pregnant women with epilepsy on AEDs, additional therapeutic drug monitoring reduces seizure deterioration compared with clinical features monitoring after a reduction in serum AED levels.

Ictal consciousness in epilepsy and nonepileptic attack disorder.

Exploration of subjective experiences during seizures may enhance knowledge of the differing natures of epilepsy and nonepileptic attack disorder (NEAD). We performed a quantitative evaluation of both the general level of awareness and the specific contents of consciousness during seizures using the Ictal Consciousness Inventory (ICI). Ninety-five adult outpatients attending general neuropsychiatry and epilepsy clinics with established diagnoses of either epilepsy (n = 66) or NEAD (n = 29) completed one ICI for each witnessed seizure recalled.