What do systematic reviews say?

Summary of findings: needle acupuncture plus valproate vs valproate

Summary of findings: needle acupuncture plus valproate showed no clear difference in seizure freedom ( compared with valproate alone (moderate certainty).

• Acupuncture for epilepsy 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.97 [0.72, 1.3]
  2 studies · 150 participants
  Moderate

Ethosuximide vs valproate

• Ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine for absence seizures in children and adolescents 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  4 studies · 365 participants
  Moderate

Lamotrigine vs valproate

• Ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine for absence seizures in children and adolescents 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  4 studies · 405 participants
  Moderate

Summary of findings: needle acupuncture vs valproate

Summary of findings: needle acupuncture showed no clear difference in seizure freedom ( compared with valproate (low certainty).

• Acupuncture for epilepsy 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 1.75 [0.93, 3.27]
  2 studies · 180 participants
  Low

Summary of findings: catgut implantation at acupoints vs valproate

Summary of findings: catgut implantation at acupoints may leads to higher seizure freedom ( compared with valproate (low certainty).

• Acupuncture for epilepsy 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 2.82 [1.61, 4.94]
  4 studies · 381 participants
  Low

Ethosuximide vs lamotrigine

Ethosuximide leads to lower seizure freedom at 12 months compared with lamotrigine (high certainty).

• Ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine for absence seizures in children and adolescents 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 0.47 [0.33, 0.67]
  1 study · 300 participants
  High