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Efficacy of Brivaracetam in children with epilepsy

Fernando Ferragut Ferretjans1, Víctor Soto Insuga1, Beatriz Bernardino Cuesta1

  • 1Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Neuropediatría, Spain.

Epilepsy Research
|September 16, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Brivaracetam (BRV) effectively reduced seizure frequency in children with refractory epilepsy. This antiepileptic drug (AED) demonstrated good tolerance and safety in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Epileptology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Epilepsy affects a significant number of children worldwide.
  • Refractory epilepsy poses treatment challenges in pediatric populations.
  • Brivaracetam (BRV) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) with potential applications in pediatric epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of Brivaracetam (BRV) in pediatric patients with epilepsy.
  • To assess the tolerance and safety profile of BRV in children.
  • To determine the effectiveness of BRV in managing refractory epilepsy in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study design.
  • Inclusion of pediatric patients (under 16 years) with epilepsy and a minimum 3-month follow-up.
  • Analysis of seizure frequency reduction, dose-response, and side effects associated with BRV treatment.

Main Results:

  • BRV treatment led to over 50% seizure frequency reduction in 30.3% of pediatric patients.
  • 9% of patients achieved complete seizure freedom.
  • Higher BRV doses and direct switch from levetiracetam (LEV) correlated with greater efficacy.
  • Common side effects included irritability and drowsiness (24.2% of cases).

Conclusions:

  • Brivaracetam (BRV) is an effective antiepileptic drug (AED) for children with refractory epilepsy.
  • BRV demonstrates a favorable safety and tolerability profile in the pediatric population.
  • The study supports the use of BRV as a therapeutic option for pediatric epilepsy management.
Abstract

Keywords:
Antiepileptic drugBrivaracetamEncephalophaty epilepsyFocal epilepsyManegment epilepsyTreatment

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