Science of Neurosurgical Practice-Critical Appraisal of a Therapeutic Trial

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video summary, the speaker discusses the critical appraisal of a therapeutic trial for a young woman who had a first-ever generalized tonic-clonic seizure. The goal is to apply evidence-based medicine to determine whether the patient should be prescribed anticonvulsant medication. The speaker emphasizes the importance of asking a focused question, finding the best evidence, and critically appraising it. Two randomized controlled trials are examined, both of which show a significant reduction in the risk of seizure recurrence with early anticonvulsant therapy. The speaker highlights the importance of intention-to-treat analysis and masked assessment in clinical trials. The overall strength of the studies to answer the question is considered to be high. Based on the evidence, it is reasonable to recommend anticonvulsant medication for the patient. The speaker also mentions the importance of considering patient values and the applicability of the evidence to individual patients. Overall, the video provides a framework for assessing therapeutic trials and applying the evidence to patient care.

Asset Subtitle

Presented by Michael J. Glantz, MD

Keywords

therapeutic trial

evidence-based medicine

anticonvulsant medication

randomized controlled trials

seizure recurrence

intention-to-treat analysis

patient values