Does SANAD II help with gender-specific problems in epilepsy treatment?

Gender-specific differences in the treatment of epilepsy are a continuous challenge in the choice of treatment. Earlier studies on antiseizure medication often only or predominantly included male patients. The establishment of pregnancy registries including girls and women of childbearing age with epilepsy in Europe and North America have given many more insights into the side effects as well the teratogenic effects of antiseizure medications (ASM) on their children. The SANAD II study provided essential new data on the clinical effectiveness as well as the cost-effectiveness of the most frequently used antiseizure medications in focal, generalized and unclassifiable epilepsies. These results were taken into account for the new revised guidelines of the German, Austrian and Swiss neurological societies on epilepsy treatment in adults; however, several aspects regarding the gender-specific choice of antiseizure medication remain controversial, especially the use of valproate in generalized epilepsy.