Author: Sam Killian, M.D.  Educational Pearls The availability of antiepileptic treatment has changed in the last 30 years. A recent study in JAMA followed 18,000 pts with epilepsy for 30 years to assess the effectiveness of looked at seizure control. The study found that although there have been new drugs introduced over the last 30 years, there has not been much of an improvement in seizure control. Side effect profiles and medicine compliance may have improved in this time period, but the main goal of reducing seizure frequency has not been reached. References: Chen Z, Brodie MJ, Liew D, Kwan P. Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy Treated With Established and New Antiepileptic DrugsA 30-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study. JAMA Neurol. Published online December 26, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.3949