What prompts epilepsy patients to return to driving after seizure episode?

Takeaway

• Return to driving within 1 year after diagnosis of epilepsy is linked to work or social imperatives and control of seizures.
• Individuals with ongoing seizures should be restricted from driving and should be provided alternative transport options.

Why this matters

• Patients with epilepsy are permitted to drive only after completing 12 months without a seizure episode.
• Loss of driving licence can affect patients’ socialisation and leisure activities, possibly resulting in depression.

Study design

• Prospective registry study of 152 patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy (returned to driving, n=118; not returned to driving, n=34).
• Patients were assessed using WHO Disability Assessment Schedule.
• Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council.

Key results

• Overall 32% of patients experienced seizures between 4 and 12 months after diagnosis, of which more than half had driven during that period.
• Return to driving was because of getting to work or place of education (OR, 4.70; 95% CI, 1.87-11.86), no seizure recurrence (OR, 5.15; 95% CI, 2.07- 12.82) and being on no or a single antiepileptic drug (OR, 4.54; 95% CI, 1.45-14.22).
• 1 of every 5 patients who drove after diagnosis had recurrent seizures.

Limitations

• Risk for bias.