Prospective study on long-term treatment with oxcarbazepine in pediatric epilepsy
Emilio Franzoni1, Valentina Gentile, Alessandro Pellicciari
1Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy. emilio.franzoni@unibo.it
Insights
Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is an effective and well-tolerated first-line drug for long-term monotherapy in children with epilepsy. This study confirms OXC
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Epileptology
Background:
- Partial epilepsies in children require effective long-term treatment.
- Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is a potential first-line monotherapy option.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term efficacy, tolerability, and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC) in children with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy.
- To confirm preliminary findings on OXC's therapeutic profile.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 36 children (mean age 8.5) with new partial epilepsy diagnoses received OXC monotherapy.
- Patients were followed for 36 months with scheduled assessments at 3, 12, 24, and 36 months.
- Efficacy, tolerability, and safety outcomes were systematically monitored.
Main Results:
- Twenty patients (55.6%) achieved seizure freedom (SF), with nine discontinuing OXC after achieving sustained SF for at least two years.
- Eleven patients remained on OXC therapy and SF at study end.
- One patient had a >50% reduction in seizure frequency; three were non-responders but continued therapy; nine stopped due to non-response, and one due to adverse effects.
- No EEG abnormalities generalized due to treatment, and ten patients showed EEG normalization.
Conclusions:
- Oxcarbazepine (OXC) is confirmed as an effective and well-tolerated first-line drug for long-term monotherapy in pediatric partial epilepsy.
- OXC demonstrates efficacy in both idiopathic and symptomatic/cryptogenic epilepsy forms.
- The drug's safety profile and tolerability support its use in children requiring sustained seizure control.
Abstract:
Following a previous preliminary report on a group of children suffering from partial epilepsies, we present the final considerations on the same group in order to evaluate the long-term efficacy, tolerability and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC). We enrolled 36 patients (mean age 8.5), between January 2003 and December 2004, with new diagnosis of partial epilepsy: 25 patients were affected by idiopathic partial epilepsy, eight by symptomatic epilepsy and three by cryptogenic epilepsy. Each patient was scheduled to attend the center four times after the initial examination: 3 months (T1), 12 months (T2), 24 (T3) months and 36 (T4) months after the beginning of OXC-monotherapy (T0). At the end of our study, 20 patients were seizure free (SF): nine stopped OXC because of SF for at least 2 years, 11 were still on therapy. One patient showed a reduction of seizure frequency >or=50%, three were non responders (but still on therapy), nine stopped OXC due to a non-responder condition during follow-up before T4 and one because of adverse effects. At the end of the study no EEG focal abnormalities became generalized because of treatment. Normalization of EEG was observed in ten patients. Our preliminary findings have been confirmed. OXC can be considered an effective and well tolerated first line drug for long-term monotherapy in children with epilepsy, both for idiopathic and symptomatic/cryptogenic forms.
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