Manaka (1992)

Japan

RCT

PEDro=3

N_­­_initial­=244, N_final=191

Population: Severe Head Injury; Severe Group: Mean Age=38.0 yr. Mild Group: Mean Age=29.3 yr.

Treatment: Patients with severe injuries were divided into two groups: phenobarbital (n=50; 10-25 µg/mL) or control (n=76) starting at 4wk post injury for 2 yr, tapering off at 3 yr. Follow-up continued for 5 yr. Participants with mild head injury were in a third group (n=65).

Outcome Measure: Occurrence of seizures.

*Results of mild head injury group not reported here

1.        At follow-up, 12.7% (n=16) of participants with severe head injury developed epileptic attacks; 8 (16%) in the treatment group and 8 (10.5%) controls.

Servit & Musil (1981)

Czechoslovakia

PCT

N=167

Population: TBI; Mean Age=30.6 yr; Gender: Male=128, Female=39.

Treatment: Participants in the treatment group (n=143) were administered Phenytoin (160-240 mg/day) and phenobarbital (20-60 mg/day). The control group (n=24) was treated with conventional methods for 2 yr. 

Outcome Measure: Occurrence of late seizures.

1.        Posttraumatic epilepsy occurred in 25% of the control and 2.1% of the treatment group after discontinuing therapy (p<0.001).

2.        One individual (0.7%) had a seizure during prophylactic treatment.