Table 1.

GRADE evaluation of interventions for Epilepsy (generalised)

Important outcomes	Seizure frequency, quality of life, adverse effects
Number of studies (participants)	Outcome	Comparison	Type of evidence	Quality	Consistency	Directness	Effect size	GRADE	Comment
What are the effects of monotherapy in newly diagnosed generalised epilepsy (tonic clonic type)?
4 (395)	Seizure frequency	Carbamazepine v sodium valproate	4	−1	0	−1	0	Low	Quality point deducted for subgroup analysis. Directness point deducted for uncertainty about epilepsy classification
4 (157)	Seizure frequency	Carbamazepine v phenobarbital	4	−2	0	0	0	Low	Quality points deducted for sparse data and subgroup analysis
5 (395)	Seizure frequency	Phenytoin v sodium valproate	4	−1	0	0	0	Moderate	Quality point deducted for subgroup analysis
2 (147)	Seizure frequency	Phenytoin v oxcarbazepine	4	−2	0	0	0	Low	Quality points deducted for sparse data and subgroup analysis
1 (186)	Seizure frequency	Lamotrigine v carbamazepine	4	−1	0	−2	0	Very low	Quality point deducted for sparse data. Directness points deducted for uncertainty about epilepsy type and population restricted to older people
What are the effects of additional treatments in people with drug-resistant generalised epilepsy?
3 (296)	Seizure frequency	Adding lamotrigine v adding placebo	4	−1	0	0	0	Moderate	Quality point deducted for incomplete reporting of results
2 (286)	Seizure frequency	Adding levetiracetam v adding placebo	4	−1	0	0	0	Moderate	Quality point deducted for incomplete reporting in 1 RCT

Type of evidence: 4 = RCT; 2 = Observational.Consistency: similarity of results across studies.Directness: generalisability of population or outcomes. Effect size: based on relative risk or odds ratio.