title: Prospective study on long-term treatment with oxcarbazepine in pediatric epilepsy.
abstract: Following a previous preliminary report on a group of children suffering from partial epilepsies, we present the final considerations on the same group in order to evaluate the long-term efficacy, tolerability and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC). We enrolled 36 patients (mean age 8.5), between January 2003 and December 2004, with new diagnosis of partial epilepsy: 25 patients were affected by idiopathic partial epilepsy, eight by symptomatic epilepsy and three by cryptogenic epilepsy. Each patient was scheduled to attend the center four times after the initial examination: 3 months (T1), 12 months (T2), 24 (T3) months and 36 (T4) months after the beginning of OXC-monotherapy (T0). At the end of our study, 20 patients were seizure free (SF): nine stopped OXC because of SF for at least 2 years, 11 were still on therapy. One patient showed a reduction of seizure frequency >or=50%, three were non responders (but still on therapy), nine stopped OXC due to a non-responder condition during follow-up before T4 and one because of adverse effects. At the end of the study no EEG focal abnormalities became generalized because of treatment. Normalization of EEG was observed in ten patients. Our preliminary findings have been confirmed. OXC can be considered an effective and well tolerated first line drug for long-term monotherapy in children with epilepsy, both for idiopathic and symptomatic/cryptogenic forms.
authors: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy. emilio.franzoni@unibo.it
authors: Emilio
authors: E
authors: Franzoni
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Gentile
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Pellicciari
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Garone
authors: Luisa
authors: L
authors: Iero
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Gualandi
authors: Duccio Maria
authors: DM
authors: Cordelli
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Cecconi
authors: Filomena Caterina
authors: FC
authors: Moscano
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Marchiani
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Errani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000078330:Oxcarbazepine