title: Lamotrigine in resistant childhood epilepsy.
abstract: Fourteen children (6 M, 8 F) suffering from refractory epilepsy received LTG as add-on therapy. LTG was administered twice daily at dosages increasing up to 2 mg/kg/day (for patients taking VPA) or to 10 mg/kg/day for patients taking AEDs that induce hepatic metabolism. The drug was withdrawn for side effects in 3 cases (rash: two cases, hirsutism: one), because of increased seizure frequency in 2 cases and because of unchanged seizure frequency in one. One patient died from acute respiratory failure, after repeated respiratory tract infections. A decrease in seizure frequency after one year of treatment with LTG was observed in 6 of the 7 patients who completed the study. The median total seizure frequency decreased from 10.7 +/- 7.3 to 3.8 +/- 4.6 seizures per day. At the end of the study, seizure frequency had decreased by more than 50% in 2 patients, by more than 75% in 2 patients, and 2 patients were seizure-free; in the remaining patient seizure frequency was unchanged. The best results were obtained with plasma LTG concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5.4 micrograms/ml; no further improvement was observed at higher LTG concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Institute C. Besta, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Battino
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Estienne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pisani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Avanzini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine