Imipramine in absence and myoclonic-astatic seizures.
A double-blind crossover study with imipramine was conducted in 10 patients with absence and myoclonic-astatic seizures who had not responded to conventional medications. Imipramine produced a significant initial decrease in seizure frequency in 5 of the 10 patients, and in 2 patients the beneficial effect was maintained for more than 1 year. An open trial of imipramine in another 16 patients showed an initial reduction in seizure frequency in 10 patients (63 percent), and this decrease persisted for more than 1 year in 4 patients (25 percent). The effect of imipramine on the EEG did not always correlate with the clinical response. Serum content of imipramine in the patients who showed a long-term response was 40 to 120 ng per milliliter, on a total daily dose of 0.7 to 3.5 mg per kilogram. These results suggest that imipramine is a valuable addition to the treatment of seizures.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007099:Imipramine