ABSTRACT Objective:To review the evaluation of new measurement indicator for the effectiveness of initial monotherapy in patients with chronic epilepsy in long-term commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) . Methods:Research articles regarding the evaluation of the long term effectiveness of an initial monotherapy with AEDs were collected by searching for the international biomedical literature databases. Their effective messages matching the criterion were screened to be systematically reviewed. Results:Only 6 studies matched the criterion. The way of describing the literature had their heterogeneity. The retention rates for carbamazepine (CBZ) were 65.0%-77.8% for one year, 57.0%-65.9% for two years and 53.0%-59.5% for three years. Its seizure freedom rates were 27.6%-52.4% for the first year, 55.2%-60.0% for the second year and 49.6%-69% for the third year. The retention rate and seizure freedom rate in elderly patients were lower. The long term adverse events (AE) and lack of efficacy (LE) were the main reasons for discontinuation. The retention rate and seizure freedom rate for valproate (VPA) were approximately 70% and 50% respectively in the first year. But seizure reedom rate was obviously low in elderly patients. The reasons for discontinuation were the same as CBZ. Lamotrigine (LTG) showed the highest retention rate: more than 75% for one year, 65%-75% for two years and 59% for three years. About 50% patients were free from seizures for the first year. Better tolerance contributed to the higher retention rate of LTG. Compared to the others, topiramate (TPM) easily led to its treatment failure, 52%-75%, 42%-68% and 45%-54% patients kept the treatment with TPM for one, two and three years. 33%-53%, 45%-55% and 43%-67% patients kept the seizure free for the first, second and third year. The long term AE, especially the cognition impairments mainly led to the treatment failure of TPM. The retention rate and seizure freedom rate of oxcarbazepine (OXC) treatment were 63%, 56%-59%, 56% and 35%, 57%, 68% respectively for the first, second and third year. Few patients experienced a discontinuation on OXC because of AE. For levetiracetam (LEV), 66%-73%, 46%-54% patients kept on their LEV treatment for the one and two years, accounting for lower proportion than LTG. The seizure freedom rate of LEV was 43% for the first year. The main cause of discontinuation of LEV usually was AE.Conclusion:The retention rate and seizure freedom rate ,for one year, were the new measurement indicator. The long term effectiveness of initial monotherapy with AEDs could reflect the actual effectiveness in everyday clinical practice. |