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Zonisamide prophylaxis in refractory pediatric headache

Ann Pakalnis1, Donna Kring

  • 1Neurology Division, Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA.

Headache
|April 29, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Zonisamide, an antiepileptic drug, showed efficacy in reducing pediatric headaches. This medication was well-tolerated, suggesting potential for future studies in children with refractory headaches.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • No approved medications exist for pediatric headache prophylaxis in the US.
  • Zonisamide, an antiepileptic drug, has shown preliminary efficacy in adult headache populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of zonisamide for headache prophylaxis in pediatric patients.
  • To assess zonisamide's potential as a treatment option for refractory pediatric headaches.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with refractory headaches treated with zonisamide.
  • Analysis of patient history, diagnoses, prior treatments, and headache frequency before and during zonisamide treatment.

Main Results:

  • Twelve pediatric patients (8 girls, mean age 13.5 years) were included.
  • Eight out of twelve patients (67%) experienced a significant reduction (>50%) in headache frequency with zonisamide.

Conclusions:

  • Zonisamide demonstrated efficacy in reducing headache frequency in pediatric patients.
  • The antiepileptic drug zonisamide was well-tolerated with minor side effects.
  • Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm zonisamide's efficacy in refractory pediatric headaches.
Abstract

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