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New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE): Awareness and research
Status epilepticus (SE) is described as seizures that persist for at least 30 minutes; it’s estimated to occur in 10 to 40 people per 100,000. Among all cases of SE, about 30% persist even after treatment with two medications: this is known as refractory status epilepticus (RSE).
Most of the time, the cause of RSE is identified in the first few days. RSE can be a result of epilepsy; it also can happen in people without epilepsy due to a stroke, brain injury, infection, or tumor.
About 10% to 20% of the time, these causes are ruled out and the person is said to have NORSE, or new onset RSE. NORSE is not a formal diagnosis: It merely describes the circumstances.
Because NORSE is a subset of a subset of people who have status epilepticus, it’s quite rare.
ILAE spoke with Lawrence Hirsch and Nicolas Gaspard about increasing awareness of NORSE and the challenges to doing research in an area that’s relatively new.
Source: International League Against Epilepsy: Newswise