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Zonisamide treatment for symptomatic infantile spasms
Timothy E Lotze1, Angus A Wilfong
1Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Neurology
|January 28, 2004
Summary
Zonisamide effectively controlled infantile spasms in 26% of patients, with no adverse effects reported. This epilepsy treatment showed a mean 19-day latency to spasm cessation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Epileptology
Background:
- Infantile spasms are a severe epilepsy syndrome in infants.
- Zonisamide is an established anti-epileptic drug with a broad spectrum of action.
- Limited data exists on zonisamide's efficacy and tolerability for infantile spasms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide in treating symptomatic infantile spasms.
- To assess spasm cessation, EEG evolution, and adverse effects of zonisamide treatment.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 23 patients with symptomatic infantile spasms.
- Zonisamide treatment was initiated, and patients were monitored for a mean duration of 6.5 months.
- Efficacy was assessed by spasm cessation and EEG hypsarrhythmia, and tolerability by adverse events.
Main Results:
- Six out of 23 patients (26%) achieved complete spasm control and EEG hypsarrhythmia resolution.
- The mean time from zonisamide initiation to complete spasm control was 19 days.
- No patients discontinued zonisamide due to adverse effects, indicating good tolerability.
Conclusions:
- Zonisamide demonstrates significant efficacy in achieving spasm cessation and EEG normalization in a subset of patients with symptomatic infantile spasms.
- The drug is well-tolerated, with no treatment discontinuations due to adverse events.
- Zonisamide represents a viable therapeutic option for infantile spasms, warranting further investigation in larger trials.