Appendix 1. Cochrane Epilepsy Group Specialized Register search strategy

#1 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Anticonvulsants Explode All WITH AD AE AG AN AI BL CF CS CH CL CT DU EC HI IM IP ME PK PD PO RE ST SD TU TO UR

#2 anticonvulsant* OR antiepilep* OR phenytoin OR valpro* OR carbamazepine OR ethosuximide OR phenobarbit* OR primidone

#3 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Phenobarbital Explode All WITH AD AE AG AA AN AI BL CF CS CH CL CT DU EC HI IM IP ME PK PD PO RE ST SD TU TO UR

#4 clobazam or clonazepam or diazepam or gabapentin or lamotrigine or levetiracetam or lorazapam or oxcarbazepine OR tiagabine or topiramate or vigabatrin or zonisamide

#5 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4

#6 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#7 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Thrombosis Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#8 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#9 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Embolism Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#10 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Cerebral Veins Explode All WITH AB AH CH CY DE EM EN GD IM IN IR ME MI PS PA PH PP RE RA RI SE SU TR US UL VI

#11 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Cavernous Sinus Explode All WITH AB AH CH CY DE EM EN GD IM IN IR ME MI PS PA PH PP RE RA RI SE SU US UL VI

#12 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Cranial Sinuses Explode All WITH AB AH CH CY DE EM EN GD IM IN IR ME MI PS PA PH PP RE RA RI SE SU US UL VI

#13 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Dura Mater Explode All WITH AB AH BS CH CY DE EM EN GD IM IN ME MI PS PA PH PP RE RA RI SE SU TR US UL VI

#14 #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13

#15 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Venous Thrombosis Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#16 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Thrombosis Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#17 MeSH DESCRIPTOR Thromboembolism Explode All WITH BL CF CI CL CO CN DI DH DT EC EM EN EP EH ET GE HI IM ME MI MO NU PS PA PP PC PX RA RI RT RH SU TH US UR VE VI

#18 #15 OR #16 OR #17

#19 #14 AND #18

#20 (sinus* or sinovenous or cerebral venous or cerebral vein*) NEAR5 thrombo*

#21 (cavernous or sagittal venous or sagittal vein* or sinus) NEAR5 thrombo*

#22 cvdst or dct

#23 #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9 OR #19 OR #20 OR #21 OR #22

#24 #5 AND #23

Appendix 2. CENTRAL (CRSO) search strategy

#1 (epilep* or seizure* or convulsion*):TI,AB,KY

#2 (anticonvulsant* or antiepilep*):TI,AB,KY

#3 MESH DESCRIPTOR Epilepsy EXPLODE ALL TREES WITH QUALIFIERS DT

#4 MESH DESCRIPTOR Seizures EXPLODE ALL TREES WITH QUALIFIERS DT

#5 MESH DESCRIPTOR Anticonvulsants EXPLODE ALL TREES

#6 (phenytoin or valpro* or carbamazepine):TI,AB,KY

#7 (ethosuximide or phenobarbit* or primidone):TI,AB,KY

#8 MESH DESCRIPTOR Phenobarbital EXPLODE ALL TREES

#9 (clobazam or clonazepam or diazepam):TI,AB,KY

#10 (gabapentin or lamotrigine or levetiracetam):TI,AB,KY

#11 (lorazapam or oxcarbazepine or tiagabine):TI,AB,KY

#12 (topiramate or vigabatrin or zonisamide):TI,AB,KY

#13 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12

#14 MESH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis EXPLODE ALL TREES

#15 MESH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Thrombosis EXPLODE ALL TREES

#16 MESH DESCRIPTOR Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial EXPLODE ALL TREES

#17 MESH DESCRIPTOR Intracranial Embolism EXPLODE ALL TREES

#18 MESH DESCRIPTOR Cerebral Veins EXPLODE ALL TREES

#19 MESH DESCRIPTOR Cavernous Sinus EXPLODE ALL TREES

#20 MESH DESCRIPTOR Cranial Sinuses EXPLODE ALL TREES

#21 MESH DESCRIPTOR Dura Mater EXPLODE ALL TREES

#22 #18 OR #19 OR #20 OR #21

#23 MESH DESCRIPTOR Venous Thrombosis EXPLODE ALL TREES

#24 MESH DESCRIPTOR Thrombosis EXPLODE ALL TREES

#25 MESH DESCRIPTOR Thromboembolism EXPLODE ALL TREES

#26 #23 OR #24 OR #25

#27 #22 AND #26

#28 ((sinus* or sinovenous or cerebral venous or cerebral vein*) near5 thrombo*):TI,AB,KY

#29 ((cavernous or sagittal venous or sagittal vein* or sinus) near5 thrombo*):TI,AB,KY

#30 (cvdst or dct):TI,AB,KY

#31 #14 OR #15 OR #16 OR #17 OR #27 OR #28 OR #29 OR #30

#32 #13 AND #31

#33 31/08/2013 TO 31/05/2015:DL

#34 #32 AND #33

Appendix 3. MEDLINE search strategy

The following search strategy is based on the Cochrane Highly Sensitive Search Strategy for identifying randomised trials (Lefebvre 2011).

1. randomized controlled trial.pt.

2. controlled clinical trial.pt.

3. randomi?ed.ab.

4. placebo.ab.

5. clinical trials as topic.sh.

6. randomly.ab.

7. trial.ti.

8. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

9. exp animals/ not humans.sh.

10. 8 not 9

11. exp Epilepsy/

12. exp Seizures/

13. (epilep$ or seizure$ or convuls$).tw.

14. anticonvulsant$.tw.

15. exp Anticonvulsants/

16. antiepilep$.tw.

17. phenytoin.tw.

18. valpro$.tw.

19. carbamazepine.tw.

20. ethosuximide.tw.

21. phenobarbit$.tw.

22. exp Phenobarbital/

23. primidone.tw.

24. or/11‐23

25. "Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis"/

26. Intracranial Thrombosis/

27. exp Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial/

28. Intracranial Embolism/

29. Cerebral Veins/

30. Cavernous Sinus/

31. Cranial Sinuses/

32. exp Dura Mater/

33. 29 or 30 or 31 or 32

34. Venous Thrombosis/

35. Thrombosis/

36. Thromboembolism/

37. 34 or 35 or 36

38. 33 and 37

39. ((sinus$ or sinovenous or cerebral venous or cerebral vein$ or cavernous or sagittal venous or sagittal vein$ or sinus) adj5 thrombo$).tw.

40. (cvdst or cvt).tw.

41. 25 or 26 or 27 or 28 or 38 or 39 or 40

42. 10 and 24 and 41

43. limit 42 to ed=20130822‐20150420

Earlier versions of this review used the following search strategy. We received guidance from the Cochrane Stroke Group for the stroke section (lines 39 to 54) of the search strategy for MEDLINE. The epilepsy and intervention sections of the search strategy (lines 22 to 36) were standard for the Cochrane Epilepsy Group. Lines 1 to 21 are drawn from the Cochrane highly sensitive search strategy for identifying randomised trials in MEDLINE as set out in Appendix 5b of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 4.2.4, updated March 2005) (Higgins 2005).

1. randomized controlled trial.pt.

2. controlled clinical trial.pt.

3. exp Randomized Controlled Trials/

4. exp Random Allocation/

5. exp Double‐Blind Method/

6. exp Single‐Blind Method/

7. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6

8. (animals not humans).sh.

9. 7 not 8

10. clinical trial.pt.

11. Clinical Trial/

12. (clin$ adj trial$).ab,ti.

13. ((singl$ or doubl$ or trebl$ or tripl$) adj (blind$ or mask$)).ab,ti.

14. exp PLACEBOS/

15. placebo$.ab,ti.

16. random$.ab,ti.

17. exp Research Design/

18. 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17

19. (animals not humans).sh.

20. 18 not 19

21. 9 or 20

22. epilep$.tw.

23. exp EPILEPSY/

24. seizure$.tw. [

25. exp SEIZURES/

26. convulsion$.tw.

27. anticonvulsant$.tw.

28. exp ANTICONVULSANTS/

29. antiepilep$.tw.

30. phenytoin.tw.

31. valpro$.tw.

32. carbamazepine.tw.

33. ethosuximide.tw.

34. phenobarbit$.tw. [

35. exp PHENOBARBITAL/

36. primidone.tw.]

37. 22 or 23 or 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 or 28 or 29 or 30 or 31 or 32 or 33 or 34 or 35 or 36

38. 21 and 37

39. "Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis"/

40. Intracranial Thrombosis/

41. exp Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial/

42. Intracranial Embolism/

43. Cerebral Veins/

44. Cavernous Sinus/

45. Cranial Sinuses/

46. exp Dura Mater/

47. 43 or 44 or 45 or 46

48. Venous Thrombosis/

49. THROMBOSIS/

50. THROMBOEMBOLISM/

51. 48 or 49 or 50

52. 47 and 51

53. ((sinus$ or sinovenous or cerebral venous or cerebral vein$ or cavernous or sagittal venous or sagittal vein$ or sinus) adj5 thrombo$).tw.

54. (cvdst or cvt).tw.

55. 39 or 40 or 41 or 42 or 52 or 53 or 54

56. 38 and 55

Appendix 4. Cochrane Stroke Group Specialized Register search strategy

Search method: 1

Stage: Not specified

Disease: Not specified

Condition: Seizures

Intervention type: Pharmacology

Intervention code: Not specified