Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization
09:57

Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization

Published on: September 20, 2024

2.6K

Profile of Chronic Non-Epilepsy Drug Use in Children with Epilepsy: Single Centre Experience

Mehul Suthar1, Devendra Mishra1, Monica Juneja1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

Indian Pediatrics
|July 13, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Many children with epilepsy take unindicated non-epilepsy drugs, including calcium and multivitamins. This study highlights the need to reduce medication burden in pediatric epilepsy patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

  • Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder in children.
  • Managing comorbidities and polypharmacy in pediatric epilepsy requires careful consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence and patterns of chronic non-epilepsy drug use in children with epilepsy.
  • To assess the indications for non-epilepsy drug prescriptions in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 100 outpatient children with epilepsy on anti-seizure medications for at least 6 months.
  • Data collection on demographics, comorbidities, and concomitant non-epilepsy drug use, including complementary and alternative medications.

Main Results:

  • 68% of children had comorbidities, most commonly global developmental delay.
  • 61% were on chronic non-epilepsy drugs, with calcium, multivitamins, and folic acid being most frequent.
  • 82% of these non-epilepsy drugs lacked a documented indication; 39.4% used complementary and alternative medications.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of children with epilepsy are exposed to chronic non-epilepsy drugs, often without clear indications.
  • There is a need to optimize medication regimens and reduce the overall drug burden in pediatric epilepsy management.

More Related Videos

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy10:22

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Published on: December 6, 2016

20.3K
Author Spotlight: Obtaining High-Quality CSF and Blood Samples for Epilepsy Biomarker Discovery10:46

Author Spotlight: Obtaining High-Quality CSF and Blood Samples for Epilepsy Biomarker Discovery

Published on: September 1, 2023

2.9K

Related Concept Videos

Arteries of the Lower Limbs01:24

Arteries of the Lower Limbs

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease marked by recurrent, unpredictable seizures. These seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, leading to behavior, sensation, or consciousness alterations. They can also cause transient impairment of awareness, interfering with daily activities.
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
186
Seizures: Classification01:13

Seizures: Classification

Epilepsy is primarily characterized by unpredictable seizures, either provoked by an identifiable factor, such as injury or illness, or unprovoked, occurring spontaneously without apparent cause.
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
331
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators01:20

Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators

Ezocgabine or retigabine, an antiepileptic drug of remarkable efficacy, has revolutionized the management of seizures. It is a potassium channel activator, explicitly targeting the family of Q subtype potassium channels. It enhances the transmembrane potassium currents, regulating neuronal excitability. This action stabilizes the resting membrane potential, a pivotal factor in mitigating the hyperexcitability that characterizes epilepsy.
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
165
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein01:20

Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein

Antiepileptic drugs, such as levetiracetam (Keppra) and brivaracetam (Briviact), have emerged as crucial tools in managing epilepsy. These medications exert their therapeutic effects by targeting the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A, a transmembrane glycoprotein primarily found in the brain.
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
284
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance01:23

Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance

The elimination half-life and drug clearance of drugs following nonlinear kinetics can vary with dosage. The Michaelis-Menten parameters and drug concentration influence these factors. As the dose increases, the elimination half-life tends to lengthen, resulting in a reduction in clearance and a disproportionately larger area under the curve. The total clearance can be derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation for drugs following a one-compartment model.
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
119