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Published on: September 20, 2024
[Efficacy of Levetiracetam as an Add-on Therapy in Children with Localization-related Epilepsy]
Hideo Enoki1, Takuya Yokota, Tohru Okanishi
1Department of Child Neurology, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital.
Insights
Levetiracetam (LEV) is an effective and safe add-on therapy for pediatric localization-related epilepsy. This study found a 57% responder rate and an 87% continuation rate in children treated with LEV.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Localization-related epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in children.
- Identifying effective add-on treatments is crucial for managing pediatric epilepsy.
- Levetiracetam (LEV) is a widely used antiepileptic drug.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) as an add-on therapy in pediatric patients with localization-related epilepsy.
- To identify factors influencing LEV treatment outcomes in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 70 pediatric patients (ages 4-15) receiving LEV add-on therapy.
- Patients were followed for 24 weeks.
- Data analyzed included seizure frequency, adverse events, and demographic/clinical factors.
Main Results:
- A 57% responder rate (≥50% seizure reduction) was observed.
- The LEV continuation rate was 87%.
- Significant factors influencing efficacy included MRI abnormalities and final LEV dose. Common side effects included drowsiness and fatigue, with discontinuation in 4 patients.
Conclusions:
- Levetiracetam (LEV) demonstrates efficacy and a favorable safety profile as an add-on treatment for pediatric localization-related epilepsy.
- Treatment outcomes are influenced by specific patient characteristics and medication dosage.
- LEV is a viable therapeutic option for this patient group.
Objective:
To clarify the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) in children with localization-related epilepsy, we performed a retrospective study in our hospital.
Methods:
We reviewed the cases of 70 pediatric patients (mean age, 9.4 years, range 4-15 years) who had undergone LEV add-on therapy between October 2010 and September 2014. The subjects were followed for a period of 24 weeks.
Results:
The mean starting dose was 9.9 mg/kg/day, and the mean final dose was 39.9 mg/kg/day. The LEV continuation rate was estimated to be 87%. The responder rate (based on ≥ 50% reduction in seizure frequency) was 57%. Twenty-four of the 70 patients experienced side effects, such as drowsiness, fatigue, and aggressiveness. Although most of the adverse events were mild and tolerable, it was necessary to discontinue the medication in four patients. We evaluated the effects of gender, age, duration of illness, secondarily generalized seizure, baseline seizure frequency, MRI abnormality, number of previously administered drugs, number of concomitant drugs, and final dose. MRI abnormality and final dose of LEV had a statistically significant influence on the efficacy.
Conclusion:
LEV can be used as an effective and safe add-on treatment in children with localization-related epilepsy.
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