title: Clobazam as add-on therapy for temporal lobe epilepsy and hippocampal sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clobazam is a benzodiazepine with known antiepileptic action; however, it is not considered first line therapy in the treatment of epilepsy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of clobazam as add-on therapy in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy associated with MRI evidence of hippocampal sclerosis (HS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study, conducted at our epilepsy clinic which evaluated clobazam as add-on therapy in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and MRI signs of HS. Clobazam was prescribed based on the minimum effective dose up to the maximum tolerated dose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight patients met the inclusion criteria (51 women), ages ranging from 16 to 76 years old (mean=42.2). Dosage of clobazam ranged from 5 to 60 mg/day (mean=22.6 mg/day). Clobazam was used from one month to eight years (mean=29 months). Sixteen (20.5%) patients were seizure-free, 20 (25.5%) had more than 75% improvement in seizure control, eight (10%) had more than 50% and 20 (26%) were non responders to clobazam. In 14 (18%) we could not determine seizure frequency during follow-up. The improvement in seizure control lasted for more than one year in 30 (68%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that clobazam should be considered as add-on therapy in the treatment of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy associated with MRI signs of HS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Campinas, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Augusta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Claudio Meilman
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cendes
authors.forename: Li M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Carlos A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Guerreiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000078306:Clobazam; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000078306:Clobazam