Effects of flunarizine therapy on intractable epilepsy.
In an open trial the antiepileptic effects of flunarizine were studied in 64 patients with intractable epilepsy, and the following results were obtained: 1. Seizures disappeared completely in 2 cases, with a 50% decrease in 6 cases. 2. Of the 25 patients who had accompanying psychiatric symptoms 8.0% showed an improvement in these symptoms. 3. While no marked side-effects were observed, some cases showed an increase in frequency of seizures and the trial was stopped for 8 cases. 4. "Global evaluation" showed an overall improvement rate of 9.4%. In 47 cases, in which changes in frequency of seizure were confirmed and dosage of flunarizine was subsequently changed, improvement rate was 12.8%. 5. The above results suggest that the effectiveness of flunarizine in this open trial was very low.
Nakane
Y
Y
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Seino
M
M
Yagi
K
K
Kaji
S
S
Yamauchi
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D013997:Time Factors
D005444:Flunarizine