The prevention of chronic epilepsy.

Recent epidemiological and hospital-based studies of newly diagnosed epileptic patients suggest that the prognosis for epilepsy is much more favourable than had previously been reported and believed. Approximately three-quarters of such patients may expect to go into prolonged remission with currently available drugs, utilised as monotherapy. For chronic epileptic patients, however, the outlook for seizure control is poor. Factors that contribute to the development of chronic epilepsy are partial or multiple seizure types, brain pathology, neuropsychiatric or social handicaps, poor compliance, and the early response to treatment. Evidence is presented that epilepsy should be viewed as a process in which early effective treatment may be important to prevent the evolution of chronic epilepsy, which is so difficult to control.