An online diary for tracking epilepsy

✍ Scribed by Scheherazade Le; Patricia O. Shafer; Eyal Bartfeld; Robert S. Fisher

• Book ID: 116980575
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 479 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1525-5050
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.08.035

✦ Synopsis

My Epilepsy Diary is a free Web-based application on the public website epilepsy.com, available for patients to track epilepsy and to aid clinicians with data-based, individualized management. The first aim of this descriptive study was to outline electronic diary functions. Second, the study retrospectively profiled a large cohort of 2010 calendar year diary users including demographics, seizure types, temporal distribution of seizures, triggers, and use and side effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). A total of 1944 users provided demographic information and 1877 recorded seizure data. Most (64%) users were women. Average age was 29.9±16.0 years. A total of 70,990 seizure entries and 15,630 AED entries were logged. Events were apportioned as 79% seizures and 21% seizure clusters. Specific AEDs were detailed in 7331 entries: monotherapy was used in 18% and polytherapy in 82%. Mood-related side effects were most commonly reported in 19% of 1027 users.