Pyridoxine-dependent seizures: a review

Pyridoxine-dependent seizure is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that usually presents with neonatal intractable seizures. This syndrome results from an inborn abnormality of the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase, which results in reduced pyridazine-dependent synthesis of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid. The full range of symptomatology is unknown; but can be associated with autism, breath holding and severe mental retardation, bilious vomiting, transient visual agnosia, severe articulatory apraxia motor dyspraxia, microcephaly and intrauterine seizures. Parenteral pyridine injection test is a highly effective and reproducible test in confirming the diagnosis. Pyridoxine should be administered as a diagnostic test in all cases of convulsive disorders of infancy in which no other diagnosis is evident. Epileptic seizure discharges subside within 2-6 minutes after the intravenous injection of 50-100 mg of pyridaoxine. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, maintenance therapy should be continued indefinitely and doses increased with age or intercurrent illnesses. The maintenance dose of Bg needed is still not clear. There is a relatively wide range for the daily B6 dose necessary to control the seizure i.e., 10-200 mg/day.