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Gabapentin toxicity in children manifesting as behavioral changes
1Department of Neurology, Montefiore/Einstein Epilepsy Management Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Insights
Limited pediatric data exists for gabapentin (GBP), an antiepileptic drug (AED). Three children with intractable partial seizures experienced severe behavioral issues, including hyperactivity and aggression, leading to GBP discontinuation despite improved seizure control.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Gabapentin (GBP) is an antiepileptic drug (AED) with limited documented pediatric experience.
- Intractable partial seizures in children often require specialized treatment approaches.
- Assessing the behavioral side effects of AEDs in pediatric populations is crucial.
Observation:
- Three children with learning disabilities and intractable partial seizures were treated with GBP.
- The children, aged 7 and 10 years, received modest doses of GBP.
- Severe behavioral problems emerged during GBP treatment.
Findings:
- The observed behavioral issues included hyperactivity and explosive outbursts.
- These outbursts manifested as aggressive and oppositional behavior.
- The severity of behavioral problems necessitated the discontinuation of GBP.
Implications:
- Gabapentin may be associated with significant behavioral side effects in some pediatric patients.
- Careful monitoring for behavioral changes is essential when prescribing GBP to children.
- Further research is needed to understand the risk-benefit profile of GBP in pediatric epilepsy management.
Abstract:
Pediatric experience with gabapentin (GBP), a new antiepileptic drug (AED), is limited. We described 3 learning disabled children, 1 aged 7 and 2 aged 10 years, with intractable partial seizures who developed severe behavioral problems while receiving modest doses of GBP. The children became hyperactive and had explosive outburst consisting of aggressive and oppositional behavior. The behavioral problems were sufficiently severe to require discontinuation of GBP despite moderately improved seizure control.