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Efficacy of levetiracetam in children with refractory epilepsy as an add-on trial

S H Tonekaboni1, M Ghazavi, P Karimzadeh

  • 1Pediatric Neurology Research Center, Mofid Children's Hospital, Shaheed Beheshty Medical University, Tehran, Iran.

Epilepsy Research
|July 13, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Levetiracetam effectively reduced seizure frequency in over half of children with refractory epilepsy. This add-on therapy offers a promising treatment option for pediatric patients resistant to conventional antiepileptic drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Refractory epilepsy affects approximately 25% of children, leading to significant morbidity and developmental challenges.
  • Effective treatment strategies are crucial for managing uncontrolled seizures in pediatric populations.
  • Current antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are ineffective for a substantial number of children with epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of levetiracetam as an add-on therapy for children diagnosed with refractory epilepsy.
  • To determine the impact of levetiracetam on seizure frequency in pediatric patients unresponsive to standard treatments.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective add-on study involving 45 children (aged 0.6-15 years) with refractory epilepsy.
  • Levetiracetam was administered as an adjunct to existing antiepileptic drug regimens.
  • Dosage ranged from 20mg/kg/day, titrated up to 60mg/kg/day, with a minimum follow-up of 12 weeks.

Main Results:

  • Levetiracetam demonstrated efficacy in 54.3% of patients, achieving at least a 50% reduction in seizure frequency.
  • 8.7% of children became seizure-free, while 28.3% experienced a 50-74% decrease in seizures.
  • No significant correlation was found between treatment outcomes and patient demographics, seizure characteristics, or diagnostic data.

Conclusions:

  • Levetiracetam is a viable and effective add-on treatment for pediatric refractory epilepsy.
  • The study supports the use of levetiracetam in children who do not respond to conventional antiepileptic drug therapies.
Abstract

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