Background and Significance: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) is a rare developmental-epileptic encephalopathy characterized by life-long refractory seizures which result in frequent utilization of emergency healthcare resources and also contribute to the severe developmental and functional impairment ubiquitously seen in affected patients. Current treatment pathways are the addition of anti-seizure medication treatment or palliative surgical procedures (including neurostimulation), both of which have strong evidence supporting their effectiveness in reducing seizure frequency, but without cures. No evidence exists about the comparative effectiveness of these two pathways. Until such evidence is developed, parents and physicians will continue to struggle with difficult and daunting decisions about whether to add anti-seizure medications or to pursue palliative surgery, and when to do so.
Study Aims: Determine the comparative effectiveness of adding palliative surgery versus adding an LGS-approved medication (Aim 1a) for decreasing utilization of seizure-related emergency health care and (Aim 1b) for limiting the impairment of functional abilities. (Aim 2) Describe the frequency and patterns of utilization of the two therapy pathways at 18 PCORnet sites for variation over time and across sites as well as by patient features - age, medical fragility, race, ethnicity, and insurance type. In addressing these aims, the study will assess and improve PCORnet infrastructure and will enhance methods for future studies of LGS and other rare epilepsies.
Study Description: (Aim 1a) Observational retrospective cohort study of emergency health-care utilization and (Aim 1b) cross sectional study of the impact of treatment pathways on functional outcomes. (Aim 2) Retrospective open cohort study of frequency and patterns (by race, ethnicity, insurance, age) of utilization of the two treatment pathways.
