More Older Patients Should be Included in Epilepsy Drug Trials

Too few older adults are included in antiepileptic drug trials according to a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 184 studies.

• In 1991 to 1992, the mean age of patients included in clinical trials was 27 years, which had increased to about 42 years in 2015 to 2016.
• In 83 studies (44%), inclusion criteria included a maximum age limit.
• The requirement for limiting a participant’s maximum age did not decline significantly over time between the two time periods (r = 0.072, P=.816).
• The only disease-related exclusion criteria for entry into a clinical trial for antiepileptic drugs that was linked to a drop in the average age of enrolled patients were neurological conditions other than epilepsy.

Desmarais P, Miville C, Milán-Tomás A, et al. Age representation in antiepileptic drug trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsy Res. 2018;142:9-15.

Too few older adults are included in antiepileptic drug trials according to a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 184 studies.

• In 1991 to 1992, the mean age of patients included in clinical trials was 27 years, which had increased to about 42 years in 2015 to 2016.
• In 83 studies (44%), inclusion criteria included a maximum age limit.
• The requirement for limiting a participant’s maximum age did not decline significantly over time between the two time periods (r = 0.072, P=.816).
• The only disease-related exclusion criteria for entry into a clinical trial for antiepileptic drugs that was linked to a drop in the average age of enrolled patients were neurological conditions other than epilepsy.

Desmarais P, Miville C, Milán-Tomás A, et al. Age representation in antiepileptic drug trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsy Res. 2018;142:9-15.

Too few older adults are included in antiepileptic drug trials according to a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 184 studies.

• In 1991 to 1992, the mean age of patients included in clinical trials was 27 years, which had increased to about 42 years in 2015 to 2016.
• In 83 studies (44%), inclusion criteria included a maximum age limit.
• The requirement for limiting a participant’s maximum age did not decline significantly over time between the two time periods (r = 0.072, P=.816).
• The only disease-related exclusion criteria for entry into a clinical trial for antiepileptic drugs that was linked to a drop in the average age of enrolled patients were neurological conditions other than epilepsy.

Desmarais P, Miville C, Milán-Tomás A, et al. Age representation in antiepileptic drug trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Epilepsy Res. 2018;142:9-15.