title: Newer antiepileptic drugs as monotherapy: data on vigabatrin.
abstract: Studies examining the use of vigabatrin as monotherapy for the treatment of epilepsy are relatively scarce, and of the few that have been reported, only two were of sufficient size to provide definitive data. In both trials, vigabatrin was compared with carbamazepine for efficacy and safety. In one of these studies, carbamasepine was found to be more effective than vigabatrin in reducing seizure frequency, and the two were found to be comparably efficacious in the other study. What differed significantly, however, was vigabatrin's favorable safety profile. Vigabatrin appears to be a reasonable choice for single-drug therapy in the treatment of certain types of seizures. In other patients, it remains useful as an adjunct to other antiepileptic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85103, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kälviäinen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanganelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Regesta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D020888:Vigabatrin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D020888:Vigabatrin