Does antiepileptic drug therapy alter the prognosis of childhood seizures and prevent the development of chronic epilepsy?
Most children with epilepsy are treated with antiepileptic drugs. The effect of these medications on the evolution of the epileptic disorder is controversial. Medications can prevent seizures in acute encephalopathies, reduce febrile seizures recurrences, and control epilepsy. They do not appear to prevent epilepsy following acute brain injury. Kinding and secondary epileptogenesis remain of uncertain significance in humans. Many studies suggest that medications do not alter the development of chronic epilepsy; however, they may improve cognitive function in specific epilepsy syndromes and change the quality of life of people with epilepsy.
Shinnar
S
Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA.
Berg
AT