title: Effectiveness of clobazam as add-on therapy in children with refractory focal epilepsy.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of clobazam in children with refractory focal epilepsy. We investigated 100 consecutive patients concerning etiology of epilepsy, previously used antiepileptic drugs, seizure frequency and adverse events. Clobazam was introduced as add-on therapy in patients with previous failure of at least two monotherapies. Mean age was eight years-old and 39 patients were girls. Clobazam mean dosage was 23.6 mg/day. Mean use of clobazam was 18.6 months. Twenty-two patients had adverse events. Twenty-six patients became seizure-free, 11 had an improvement of >75% and in 58 there was no modification in seizure frequency. Five patients had an increase in seizure frequency. Clobazam efficacy lasted for more than one year in 42% of the seizure-free patients. Clobazam seems to be safe and effective in the treatment of focal epilepsy in childhood and should be considered in patients with refractory seizures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana Ribeiro Marcondes
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.forename: Maria Augusta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Renata Cristina
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Franzon
authors.forename: Carlos A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Guerreiro
authors.forename: Marilisa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Guerreiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000078306:Clobazam; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000078306:Clobazam