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Validation of a Simple Scoring System

Matti Sillanpää, MD, PhD; Peter Camfield, MD, FRCPC; Carol Camfield, MD, FRCPC

Arch Neurol. 1995;52(6):589-592.

Abstract
Background
Based on a follow-up study of 486 children, a scoring system for the long-term outcome for childhood epilepsy has been developed in Nova Scotia, Canada. The scoring system consists of four weighted predictor variables available at the time of diagnosis (ie, age at onset, intelligence, neonatal seizures, and number of seizures before treatment).

Objective
Validation of the scoring system using long-term follow-up data for childhood epilepsy from a regional cohort in Turku, Finland.

Design
Patients were selected from the Turku cohort with the same entry criteria as the Nova Scotia cohort. The scoring system was used to predict their epilepsy outcome.

Results
A total of 141 patients were selected from the Finland cohort. After 30 years of follow-up, 60% of the patients were in remission. The Nova Scotia scoring system correctly predicted outcome in 61% of Finnish cases (sensitivity, 43%; specificity, 88%; and positive predictive value, 84%).

Conclusions
Long-term good outcome for childhood epilepsy is well predicted by the Nova Scotia scoring system.

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Child Neurology, Turku (Finland) University Hospital (Dr Sillanpää), and the Department of Pediatrics, Izaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children and Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Drs P. Camfield and C. Camfield).

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