EMPOWER Study Exposes Major Gaps in Epilepsy Management

Initial findings from the EMPOWER (Epilepsy Monitoring of Prospective Seizure Observations with Electronic Records) study, presented at the 2025 American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting, highlight the persistent burden of uncontrolled seizures and significant gaps in seizure tracking among adults with epilepsy. The ongoing observational study, conducted in partnership with the Epilepsy Study Consortium, aims to characterize longitudinal seizure burden and the use of antiseizure medication (ASM) and to enroll up to 3000 participants. 

EMPOWER enrolled participants aged 18 years and older for a prospective observational period of up to 24 months. Participants were given access to an electronic seizure diary to record seizures and ASM use, and optional medical record sharing captured disease course and intercurrent events. Surveys collected information on demographics, seizure types and counts, and seizure tracking behavior.

Key findings from the first 500 participants included in the study revealed:

• Two-thirds of respondents self-reported a seizure in the last month, yet many were still not tracking their seizures, and nearly 50% were unaware of their seizure type, even when managed by a neurologist.
• 75% currently take at least one ASM, and 40% take two or more, with higher usage reported among those seeing specialists or experiencing recent seizures.
• 75% described their seizures as moderate-to-severe, with nearly 50% believing they are uncontrolled.
• 90% were fearful of another seizure.

Source: Gazdag B, Hansen K, Frizzo S, et al. Epilepsy monitoring of prospective seizure observations with electronic records (EMPOWER): a novel, prospective, large-scale, observational study designed to better understand the patient journey. Presented at: American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting; December 5–9, 2025; Atlanta, GA.