Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
10:22

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

Published on: December 6, 2016

21.1K

Effects of levetiracetam monotherapy on thyroid function in pediatric epilepsy patients

Gulcan Seymen1, Busra Isin Kutlubay2

  • 1Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye.

Northern Clinics of Istanbul
|January 23, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy for childhood epilepsy showed a slight, statistically significant increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels over 12 months. However, these changes were clinically insignificant, indicating LEV is safe for thyroid function in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Endocrinology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Childhood epilepsy often requires long-term antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy.
  • Endocrine effects of AEDs are a critical consideration, particularly thyroid function.
  • Data on AEDs' impact on pediatric thyroid function, especially for Levetiracetam (LEV), is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of LEV monotherapy on thyroid function in children with epilepsy.
  • To assess changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels.
  • To determine the clinical significance of any observed thyroid function alterations.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study of 100 pediatric epilepsy patients on LEV monotherapy for at least 12 months.
  • Measurement of TSH and fT4 levels at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months.
  • Statistical analysis using paired t-tests (p<0.05 significance).

Main Results:

  • Mean TSH levels showed a statistically significant increase from baseline to 12 months (p=0.0017).
  • TSH levels remained within normal ranges; no clinically significant hypothyroidism was observed.
  • Free thyroxine (fT4) levels did not show statistically significant changes, with a borderline increase at 12 months (p=0.05).

Conclusions:

  • LEV monotherapy does not significantly impact thyroid function in pediatric epilepsy patients.
  • Observed TSH increases were statistically significant but clinically insignificant.
  • LEV appears to be a safe AED option concerning thyroid function in children; further prospective studies are recommended.
Abstract

Keywords:
Antiepileptic drugslevetiracetampediatric epilepsythyroid function

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Accurately Assessing Thyroid Hormone-Driven Motor Alterations in Mouse04:05

Author Spotlight: Accurately Assessing Thyroid Hormone-Driven Motor Alterations in Mouse

Published on: October 6, 2023

756
Network Analysis of Foramen Ovale Electrode Recordings in Drug-resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients09:32

Network Analysis of Foramen Ovale Electrode Recordings in Drug-resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients

Published on: December 18, 2016

12.9K

Related Concept Videos

Functions of Thyroid Hormones01:18

Functions of Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid hormone (TH) plays a pivotal role in the intricate orchestration of physiological processes, exerting profound effects on development, metabolism, and homeostasis throughout different life stages.
TH is indispensable for the normal development and maturation of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems during fetal and childhood growth. It facilitates bone mineral turnover and regulates protein synthesis in developing tissues, contributing significantly to overall growth and...
5.1K
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
214
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
271
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
199
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
260
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
192