Epilepsy in children: the evidence for new antiepileptic drugs.
Childhood epilepsy remains a challenge to treat. Despite the availability of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), >25% of children with childhood epilepsy continue to have seizures. Conventional AEDs have been the mainstay of therapy for many years but are often poorly tolerated and have a tendency to interact with other drugs. Current American Academy of Neurology guidelines support the use of four of the newer AEDs (gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine) as adjunctive treatment of refractory partial seizures in children, based on class I evidence. This paper includes a summary of the results from a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which shows that levetiracetam is also effective and well tolerated in this pediatric population, and provides evidence supporting its use in refractory partial seizures in children.
Verdru
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Clinical Research, UCB, Smyrna, GA 30080, USA. peter.verdru@ucb-group.com
D000588:Amines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005632:Fructose / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D000077236:Topiramate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D014227:Triazines; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose; D002220:Carbamazepine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine