title: Efficacy and tolerability of the new antiepileptic drugs, I: Treatment of new-onset epilepsy: report of the TTA and QSS Subcommittees of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the evidence demonstrating efficacy, tolerability, and safety of seven new antiepileptic drugs [AEDs; gabapentin (GBP), lamotrigine (LTG), topiramate (TPM), tiagabine (TGB), oxcarbazepine (OXC), levetiracetam (LEV), and zonisamide (ZNS), reviewed in the order in which these agents received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration] in the treatment of children and adults with newly diagnosed partial and generalized epilepsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 23-member committee, including general neurologists, pediatric neurologists, epileptologists, and doctors in pharmacy, evaluated the available evidence based on a structured literature review including MEDLINE, Current Contents, and Cochrane Library for relevant articles from 1987 until September 2002, with selected manual searches up to 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evidence exists, either from comparative or dose-controlled trials, that GBP, LTG, TPM, and OXC have efficacy as monotherapy in newly diagnosed adolescents and adults with either partial or mixed seizure disorders. Evidence also shows that LTG is effective for newly diagnosed absence seizures in children. Evidence for effectiveness of the new AEDs in newly diagnosed patients with other generalized epilepsy syndromes is lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this evidence-based assessment provide guidelines for the prescription of AEDs for patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy and identify those seizure types and syndromes for which more evidence is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Institute, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. frenchj@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Jacqueline A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: French
authors.forename: Andres M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kanner
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bautista
authors.forename: Bassel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abou-Khalil
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: Cynthia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Harden
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Theodore
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bazil
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Schachter
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirtz
authors.forename: Georgia D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Montouris
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nespeca
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gidal
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Blaise
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilner
authors.forename: R Edward
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Faught
authors.forename: Rajesh C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sachdeo
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beydoun
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Glauser
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000588:Amines; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D017277:Drug Approval; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000188:drug therapy; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005632:Fructose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D007555:Isoxazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D009557:Nipecotic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078308:Tiagabine; D000077236:Topiramate; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D000078305:Zonisamide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000588:Amines; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D007555:Isoxazoles; D009557:Nipecotic Acids; D014227:Triazines; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D000078305:Zonisamide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D000078308:Tiagabine; D010889:Piracetam