EEC 2022 | The cost of seizure freedom: incorporating quality of life measures into epilepsy research

Christian Brandt, MD, Bielefeld University, Medical School, Bielefeld, Germany, discusses the importance of implementing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in epilepsy research. Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) have improved in safety and tolerability over recent years, but many still come with frequent side effects that have a significant impact on quality of life. Although valued as a top priority, seizure freedom can come at a cost. As adverse events can be frequent and substantial, patient-reported quality of life outcomes should be measured alongside EEG data, laboratory measures, and seizure reports. Dr Brandt also comments on how this extends to patients with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. This interview took place at the 14th European Epilepsy Congress (EEC) 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.