Table 2.

Comparison between patients with increase seizure frequency and those without regarding different risk factors.

		No increase in seizure frequency (n = 255)	Increase in seizure frequency (n = 85)	P value
Age (mean ± SD)		30.6 ± 12.2	27 ± 11.3	0.01
Sex	Males	112 (43.9 %)	50 (58.8 %)	0.01
	Females	143 (56.1 %)	35 (41.2 %)
Early onset of epilepsy	>15 y	103 (40.8 %)	23 (27.1 %)	0.02
	< 15y	152 (59.2 %)	62 (72.9 %)
Epilepsy duration	< 15 y	130 (51 %)	46 (54.1 %)	0.6
	>15 y	125 (49 %)	39 (45.9 %)
IQ	> 70	207 (81.2 %)	61 (71.8 %)	0.9
	< 70	48 (18.8 %)	24 (28.2 %)
Generalized tonic-clonic seizures	No	47 (18.4 %)	20 (23.5 %)	0.3
	Yes	208 (81.6 %)	65 (76.5 %)
Sleep related epilepsy	No	127 (49.8 %)	30 (35.3 %)	0.02
	Yes	128 (50.2 %)	55 (64.7 %)
DRE	No	195 (76.5 %)	28 (32.9 %)	< 0.001
	Yes	59 (23.5 %)	57 (67.1 %)
DRE*	Not lesional	25 (42.4 %)	26 (45.6 %)	0.8
	Lesional	34 (57.6 %)	31 (54.4 %)
DRE strategy	Dual ASMs	14 (23.7 %)	18 (31.6 %)	0.2
	Triple ASMs	45 (76.3 %)	39 (68.4 %)
Etiology	Idiopathic	83 (32.6 %)	27 (31.8 %)	0.4
	Symptomatic	109 (42.7 %)	42 (49.4 %)
	Unknown	63 (24.7 %)	16 (18.8 %)
Carbamazepine	No	158 (62 %)	49 (57.6 %)	0.4
	Yes	97 (38 %)	36 (42.4 %)
Non-compliance	No	199 (78 %)	55 (64.7 %)	0.01
	Yes	56 (22 %)	30 (35.3 %)
Frequent ASMs prescribing changes	No	224 (87.8 %)	57 (67.1 %)	0.4
	Yes	31 (12.2 %)	28 (32.9 %)
Sub therapeutic ASMs level	No	239 (93.7 %)	72 (84.7 %)	0.009
	Yes	16 (6.3 %)	13 (15.3 %)
Reported alcohol problem	No	252 (98.8 %)	84 (98.8 %)	1
	Yes	3 (1.2 %)	1 (1.2 %)
Depression	No	225 (88.2 %)	67 (78.8 %)	0.03
	Yes	30 (11.8 %)	18 (21.2 %)
Anxiolytic medications	No	243 (95.3 %)	75 (88.2 %)	0.02
	Yes	12 (4.7 %)	10 (11.8 %)

SD: standard deviation, IQ: intelligence quotient, DRE: drug resistant epilepsy, ASMs: anti-seizure medications.

^*116 patients had DRE.