title: Lamotrigine in treatment of 120 children with epilepsy.
abstract: One hundred twenty children aged 10 months to 16 years 9 months were included in three studies with lamotrigine (LTG): a single-blind study (n = 60), a pharmacokinetic study (n = 23), and a compassionate group (n = 37). At 3 months, 11 patients had become seizure-free and 34 had > 50% decrease in seizure frequency. The best results involved absence epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), and other symptomatic generalized epilepsy. Forty-two patients were followed > 1 year, 22 for a mean of 2.2 years, and there was no significant increase in seizure frequency as compared with 3-month follow-up. Fourteen patients became seizure-free for > 6 months; all except 1 had generalized epilepsy. For 12 patients, treatment could be reduced to monotherapy, but for those with valproate (VPA) comedication LTG dosage had to be increased; 25% of patients with VPA monotherapy exhibited skin rash, appearing 3-18 days after starting LTG. For 4 patients, LTG could be reintroduced after VPA was withdrawn. Ten patients had ataxia and/or drowsiness and 2 had vomiting. For all other patients, tolerance was excellent.
authors.affiliation: Neuropediatrics Department, Hôpital Saint Vincent de Paul, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schlumberger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pajot
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dulac
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000188:drug therapy; D005013:Ethosuximide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013036:Spasms, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D005013:Ethosuximide; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000077213:Lamotrigine