International Post Stroke Epilepsy Research Repository to Characterize Post-stroke Epilepsy Population and Their Outcomes

The cerebrovascular disease is the most common cause of late-onset epilepsy. PSE is associated with increased morbidity, including cognitive decline, dependence, and poor quality of life, and is a critical determinant factor of stroke prognosis. We recently reported a systematic review and meta-analysis of 71 papers that suggested that post-stroke seizures are associated with more significant mortality and poor functional and cognitive outcomes (PMID:37721736). In this study, we observed disparate methods used by the individual investigators. We also noted variations in study reporting. PI aims to analyze existing individual patient data, including those analyzed in the systematic review, by collaborating with colleagues in the field and developing IPSERR into a resource for future collaborative studies that will tackle anti-epileptogenesis drug trial design.

Design and Rationale:

1. International Post-Stroke Epilepsy Research Repository (IPSERR): The PI convened the International Post-Stroke Epilepsy Research Consortium (IPSERC) with co-convenor Dr. Patrick Kwan, Monash University, Australia. IPSERR was subsequently founded to collect retrospective and prospective PSE data to promote all aspects of PSE research. Participating centers will obtain legal approvals for human subject research as per the requirements of their jurisdiction. The PI (NKM) has IRB approval for IPSERR. A data use agreement (DUA) will be executed to receive data. The PI will invite the authors of all 71 papers in the systematic review to join IPSERC and request them to contribute data to IPSERR. A protocol (including the charter) for the proposed IPD analyses has been accepted for publication and will be available to the collaborators for review.
2. The PI will use the Yale Center for Research Computing (YCRC) resources to manage IPSERR's clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological data.
3. The PI will use Redcap for clinical data management. The Redcap server is housed within the Yale-New Haven Hospital secured data center behind their firewall. The databases are encrypted at rest for HIPAA compliance. Full database backups are made twice daily, seven days a week.
4. Study duration: 2023-2029
5. Rationale: Collaboration is vital for PSE research. This is because approximately 10% of stroke patients develop PSE. Together, investigators can collect a large sample of the PSE patient population and conduct robust analyses to draw meaningful conclusions. The collation of IPD from many different sources involving different interventions and stroke subpopulations will strengthen our ability to provide data for future research on many topics relating to PSE. The availability of high-speed internet has made it easier than ever to work closely with colleagues worldwide and share data. There are many examples of such successful efforts. For example, PI Dr. Mishra closely worked with the SITS-ISTR registry at Karolinska University, Stockholm, and the Virtual Stroke Trials Archive (VISTA) at the University of Glasgow, UK. These two international efforts recorded tPA and stroke trial data, respectively, and provided them for testing several hypotheses. Dr. Mishra subsequently worked at the US FDA, where he was exposed to other large collaborative scientific efforts like MDEpiNET. The PI seeks to capitalize on his experiences, network of colleagues worldwide, and recent technological advancement in data science to build the IPSERR. We anticipate that the IPSERR will bring together large datasets from previously conducted PSE research that would otherwise ordinarily remain dormant. The PI will request data from the authors of papers included in the systematic review (N=71 papers reporting approximately 20000 PSE patient data) and from the IPSERC members. The PI will report IPSERR in the first year and the results of the two research projects anchored on it in the second year. The PI will recognize that not all authors of the previously published literature in our systematic review will have data to share. However, even if 20% of the patient data is obtained from those studies, the PI expects an extensive database of approximately 8000 patients. With this success, the PI expects the IPSERR to continue growing. IPSERR will catalytically advance PSE research because it will provide the PSE research community with an extensive database for hypotheses testing and a framework to anchor future prospective studies.