Gap finder

Search review questions

Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.

Population

Intervention or exposure

Comparison

Outcome

Any field or review title

Field or topic

Source

Review versions

970 questions in 77 reviews · Epilepsy

current versions

No studies 190 · 19.6%Ungraded 42 · 4.3%Very low 135 · 13.9%Low 289 · 29.8%Moderate 242 · 24.9%High 72 · 7.4%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Question	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
Intervention NR Seizure freedom (1‐ to 3‐month blinded evaluation periods) · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1.03 [0.21, 5.15]	3 studies · 15 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Responder rate (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with IQ > 70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1.2 [0.52, 2.8]	1 study · 108 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Responder rate (1‐ to 3‐month blinded evaluation periods) · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1.2 [0.36, 4.01]	3 studies · 15 participants	Low
Intervention NR Seizure frequency (1‐ to 3‐month blinded evaluation periods) · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	3 studies · 15 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Adverse events · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	3 studies · 15 participants	Low
Intervention NR Neuropsychological outcome (1‐ to 3‐month periods) · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	2 studies · 6 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Quality of life (QOLIE‐89) (1‐ to 3‐month periods) · patients with refractory medial temporal lobe epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 3 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Seizure freedom (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1 [0.07, 13.64]	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Responder rate (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 10 [0.53, 189.15]	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Seizure frequency reduction (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Adverse events · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Neuropsychological outcome (3 months) · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Seizure frequency reduction (%) (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with IQ > 70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 108 participants	High
Intervention NR Quality of Life (QOLIE‐31‐P) (3 months) · adults with IQ >70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 4 participants	Low
Intervention NR Seizure freedom (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 4.95 [0.23, 104.44]	1 study · 191 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Responder rate (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1.12 [0.59, 2.11]	1 study · 191 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Seizure frequency reduction (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 191 participants	High
Intervention NR Adverse events · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 191 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Neuropsychological outcome (3 months) · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 160 participants	High
Intervention NR Quality of life (QOLIE‐89) (3 months) · adults with refractory focal epilepsy (1 or 2 epileptogenic regions) Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 180 participants	High
Intervention NR Adverse events · adults with IQ > 70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 109 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Neuropsychological outcome (3 months) · adults with IQ > 70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 96 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Quality of life (QOLIE‐31) (3 months) · adults with IQ > 70 with refractory focal epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 105 participants	High
Intervention NR Seizure freedom (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · patients with refractory (multi)focal or generalized epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1 [0.11, 9.39]	1 study · 6 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Responder rate (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · patients with refractory (multi)focal or generalized epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	OR 1 [0.27, 3.69]	1 study · 6 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Seizure frequency reduction (3‐month blinded evaluation period) · patients with refractory (multi)focal or generalized epilepsy Deep brain and cortical stimulation for epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 6 participants	Very low
Propofol vs Thiopental sodium Total control of seizures · patients with the treatment of refractory status epilepticus Propofol versus thiopental sodium for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus (2017) · Cochrane	RR 1.5 [0.4, 5.61]	1 study · 21 participants	Low
Propofol vs Thiopental sodium In‐hospital mortality · patients with the treatment of refractory status epilepticus Propofol versus thiopental sodium for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus (2017) · Cochrane	RR 1.5 [0.19, 11.93]	1 study · 21 participants	Low
Propofol vs Thiopental sodium Length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay · patients with the treatment of refractory status epilepticus Propofol versus thiopental sodium for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Intervention NR Outcomes1 · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Intervention NR Epilepsy Surgery Outcome Engel Class Outcome · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	2 studies · 11 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Responder Rate · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Intervention NR ILAE Epilepsy Surgery Outcome · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Intervention NR Adverse Events · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	2 studies · 11 participants	Very low
Intervention NR Quality of Life · patients undergoing epilepsy surgery with medically refractory epilepsy The role of high‐frequency oscillations in epilepsy surgery planning (2017) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
Intervention NR ≥ 50% reduction in seizure frequency 2‐month · children with SMEI Antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of infants with severe myoclonic epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	RR 10.4 [2.64, 40.87]	2 studies · 64 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Seizure freedom 2‐month · children with SMEI Antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of infants with severe myoclonic epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	RR 7.93 [1.52, 41.21]	2 studies · 64 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Proportion of dropouts 2‐month · children with SMEI Antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of infants with severe myoclonic epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	RR 0.24 [0.06, 1.03]	2 studies · 64 participants	Moderate
Intervention NR Adverse effects · children with SMEI Antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of infants with severe myoclonic epilepsy (2017) · Cochrane	RR 3.73 [1.81, 7.67]	1 study · 41 participants	Low
PUFA vs Placebo Seizure freedom · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	RR 20 [2.84, 140.99]	1 study · 70 participants	Low
PUFA vs Placebo 50% reduction in seizures frequency (12 weeks) ‐ Per protocol data ‐ Older (19 years or more) · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	RR 0.57 [0.19, 1.75]	2 studies · 78 participants	Low
PUFA vs Placebo 50% reduction in seizures frequency (12 weeks) ‐ Per protocol data ‐ Younger (< 19 years) · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	RR 33 [4.77, 228.15]	1 study · 70 participants	Low
PUFA vs Placebo 50% reduction in seizures frequency (6 weeks) · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	RR 4.67 [0.58, 37.52]	1 study · 58 participants	Moderate
PUFA vs Placebo Potential adverse effects ‐ not reported · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	NR	No studies
PUFA vs Placebo Gastrointestinal effects · patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for drug‐resistant epilepsy (2016) · Cochrane	RR 0.78 [0.32, 1.89]	2 studies · 85 participants	Low
Early vs late AED withdrawal Seizure relapse rate by time of withdrawal · individuals with epilepsy in remission Early versus late antiepileptic drug withdrawal for people with epilepsy in remission (2015) · Cochrane	RR 1.34 [1.13, 1.59]	5 studies · 924 participants	Low
Early vs late AED withdrawal Seizure relapse rate in people with partial epilepsy by time of withdrawal · individuals with epilepsy in remission Early versus late antiepileptic drug withdrawal for people with epilepsy in remission (2015) · Cochrane	RR 1.51 [0.97, 2.35]	2 studies · 180 participants	Low
Abnormal vs normal EEG Seizure relapse rate by EEG findings · people with epilepsy in remission Early versus late antiepileptic drug withdrawal for people with epilepsy in remission (2015) · Cochrane	RR 1.44 [1.13, 1.83]	2 studies · 618 participants	Low
Intervention NR Seizure frequency: Two out of five children had some improvement in seizure frequency. One child has unchanged seizure frequency and one child withdrew from the study and other had Infantile spasm. · children with intractable seizures Corticosteroids including ACTH for childhood epilepsy other than epileptic spasms (2015) · Cochrane	no estimate extracted	1 study · 3 participants	Low
Intervention NR Retention on treatment Duration of retention on treatment was not reported in these studies. The retention on treatment in this analysis is assessed by the number of withdrawals in the intervention and placebo groups The results show a trend in fa... · people with epilepsy and intellectual disability Pharmacological interventions for epilepsy in people with intellectual disabilities (2015) · Cochrane	RR 1.43 [0.76, 2.69]	3 studies · 310 participants	Moderate