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Open research questions in Epilepsy research and treatment

269 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,272 Epilepsy research and treatment papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of the association between epilepsy and CVD - Research should investigate the potential contribution of genetic factors not captured by standard PRS

    Epilepsy and incident cardiovascular disease: A prospective UK Biobank cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding the longitudinal cardiovascular trajectories in epilepsy populations. Prior studies have reported increased risks of cardiovascular disease in individuals with epilepsy, but the associations between epilepsy and cardiovascular outcomes are not well understood. There is a need for prospective cohort studies to investigate the relationships between epilepsy and cardiovascular disease.

    Epilepsy and incident cardiovascular disease: A prospective UK Biobank cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • further studies are needed to compare the outcomes of different surgical approaches for CC, - research on the long-term effects of CC on seizure outcomes and quality of life

    Keyhole approach for total corpus callosotomy · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for effective surgical treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy patients who are not candidates for focal resection. The limitations of traditional corpus callosotomy approaches, including significant surgical trauma and prolonged recovery times.

    Keyhole approach for total corpus callosotomy · 2026 · DOI

  • Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the link between this condition and Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) mechanisms - Future studies could investigate the correlation between brainstem volumetry and clinical autonomic testing - Future studies could explore the use of brainstem volumetry as a non-invasive neuroimaging biomarker to stratify SUDEP risk among epilepsy patients

    Macro-structural brainstem volumetry in generalized epilepsy: assessment of subcortical network involvement · 2026 · DOI

  • Research specifically investigating the macro-structural volumetry of brainstem substructures in idiopathic/genetic generalized epilepsies remains quite limited. The small and complex structure of the brainstem, along with surrounding CSF pulsation, frequently leads to registration and segmentation errors in standard automated VBM analyses.

    Macro-structural brainstem volumetry in generalized epilepsy: assessment of subcortical network involvement · 2026 · DOI

  • examining the longitudinal association between clinical complexity and caregiver burden - investigating the effects of interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burden - exploring the generalizability of the findings to other populations

    Child clinical complexity and caregiver burden in pediatric epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • The current state of caregiver well-being assessment in routine clinical practice is inconsistent. There is a lack of understanding of how multidimensional clinical complexity and access to resources shape caregiver outcomes. The relationship between clinical complexity and caregiver burden is not well-studied.

    Child clinical complexity and caregiver burden in pediatric epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • The overall efficacy and consistency of evidence for psychological and behavioral interventions in reducing depressive symptoms in people with epilepsy remain uncertain. There is a need for a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of psychological and behavioral interventions on depressive symptoms in people with epilepsy.

    Efficacy of psychological and behavioral interventions for depressive symptoms in people with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on learners with epilepsy in secondary school contexts. The existing research on inclusive education has not adequately addressed the needs of learners with chronic health conditions such as epilepsy. The study aims to address this gap by exploring how epilepsy shapes learners' educational experiences and capabilities.

    Epilepsy, Participation, and Belonging in South African Secondary Schools: Learners’ Accounts Through a Capability Approach · 2026 · DOI

  • Misconceptions and stigma surrounding epilepsy persist and may contribute to social exclusion, discrimination, and adverse psychological consequences. Important knowledge gaps were identified, especially in relation to seizure management and first aid.

    Knowledge, attitudes, and seizure first aid for childhood epilepsy among the Madinah community, Saudi Arabia · 2026 · DOI

  • Research on public knowledge awareness and attitudes toward childhood epilepsy remains limited in Al Madinah Al Munawwara. Important knowledge gaps were identified, especially in relation to seizure management and first aid.

    Knowledge, attitudes, and seizure first aid for childhood epilepsy among the Madinah community, Saudi Arabia · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of ketamine in RSE and SRSE resolution. There is substantial heterogeneity in the included studies, making it difficult to establish a formal relationship between ketamine onset and clinical resolution.

    Ketamine use in the refractory and super refractory status epilepticus: a systematic review · 2026 · DOI

  • Independent multicenter validation, - Context-specific operating thresholds, - Robust evaluation of explanations, - Human-in-the-loop triage

    Artificial intelligence for automated detection of interictal epileptiform discharges: methodological progress, clinical evaluation, and neurodevelopmental context · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between epilepsy and depression, - More studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of psychological and behavioral interventions in reducing depression severity, - Research on the long-term effects of psychological and behavioral interventions is necessary, - Studies with larger sample sizes and more diverse populations are needed

    Efficacy of psychological and behavioral interventions for depressive symptoms in people with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Sleep has complex links with epileptic activity, yet the causal role of sleep instability in driving and modulating pathological discharges in the human brain remains incompletely understood.

    Sleep fragmentation drives local, network-specific epileptic activity in human epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • INTRODUCTION Unlike in adults, clinical scoring system to predict outcome and treatment response in pediatric status epilepticus is lacking.

    Clinical score to predict the short-term outcome of pediatric status epilepticus · 2026 · DOI

  • Whether this subgroup shows progressive structural brain changes remains uncertain.

    Progressive Changes in Brain Morphology in People With Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • The early-stage IGE group showed progressive atrophy limited to the left putamen.

    Progressive Changes in Brain Morphology in People With Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • It is not yet known whether brainstem respiratory centers in PWE respond differently to voluntary apnea.

    Brainstem Respiratory Center Dysfunction in Persons With Epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies are needed to confirm these findings in larger populations and investigate their relation to SUDEP.

    Brainstem Respiratory Center Dysfunction in Persons With Epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Genetic factors are major contributors to pediatric epilepsy, but their role in status epilepticus (SE) remains incompletely defined.

    Genetic Etiologies of Epilepsies With Status Epilepticus · 2026 · DOI

  • Nearly one-third of cases of epilepsy in older adults remain unexplained despite advances in imaging techniques, underscoring the need for further research on the mechanisms and health implications of late-onset unexplained epilepsy.

    Late-Onset Seizures · 2026 · DOI

  • Although experts recommend newer antiseizure medications (ASMs), whether there are real-world benefits of selecting particular ASMs for epilepsy in dementia remains unknown.

    Differences in Survival Associated With the First Antiseizure Medication in People With Dementia and Epilepsy · 2026 · DOI

  • Additionally, comprehensive safety data for tiagabine and levetiracetam are lacking, necessitating further research.

    Effectiveness and safety of single anti-seizure medication as adjunctive therapy for drug-resistant focal epilepsy based on network meta-analysis · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Epilepsy research and treatment

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269 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,272 Epilepsy research and treatment papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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