# Big data approach to assessing comparative efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in refractory epilepsy

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $155,500

## Abstract

Project summary
About 1/3rd of people with epilepsy are medically refractory, that is, do not achieve seizure
freedom with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). There are few evidence-based guidelines on the
optimal treatment of refractory patients.
In previous work, we studied an institutionalized, developmentally disabled patient population in
Washington State and discovered that of the most frequently-used AED regimens, only the
combination of lamotrigine (LTG) and valproate (VPA) demonstrated significant benefit in
refractory epilepsy. A caveat to this finding was the specialized patient population in which the
study was conducted.
In this proposal, we will use two complementary approaches in community-based patients to
search for AED regimens with superior efficacy in refractory patients, so to determine whether
our previous findings are applicable to the general refractory epilepsy population.
In the first Specific Aim, we will study individuals with epilepsy who use either of two online
seizure diaries to track their seizure occurrences and AED usage. In the second Aim, we also
study the entire outpatient epilepsy population of the University of Washington Regional
Epilepsy Center, using automated analysis of the electronic health record, to determine which
AED regimens had the highest success rate in producing seizure freedom.
The potential outcome of this study will be the identification of AED regimens that are the most
effective in a prevalent but difficult to treat epilepsy population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9875142
- **Project number:** 1R03NS114801-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** NICHOLAS P POOLOS
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $155,500
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-03-15 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9875142

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9875142, Big data approach to assessing comparative efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in refractory epilepsy (1R03NS114801-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9875142. Licensed CC0.

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