title: Early clinical experience with lacosamide as adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory focal epilepsy and nocturnal seizures.
abstract: This retrospective study reports the early experience with lacosamide (LCM) as adjunctive therapy in Spanish patients with refractory focal epilepsy. Sixty patients (mean age 38.3 years, 54% women, mean epilepsy duration 27.2 years, mean seizure rate 9.7/month, and 28% with mainly nocturnal seizures) taking ≥2 antiepileptic drugs (mean 2.2) were included. LCM maintenance doses were 200, 300, 400, and 500mg/day in 31, 16, 10, and 3 patients, respectively. Patients were followed up for 13-24 months. Twenty-eight patients (47%) reported a ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency. A ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency was reported by 65% and 40% of patients in the nocturnal seizure and diurnal seizure subgroups, respectively (p>0.05). Of the 28 responders, 2 achieved stable periods of seizure freedom of 6 and 11 months after starting LCM. Twenty patients (33%) reported drug-related adverse events (AEs); the most common was dizziness (16 patients). LCM was withdrawn in 8 patients (13%). There were no serious AEs. These results support the efficacy and safety of adjunctive LCM in patients with partial-onset seizures.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. ingmorales@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-Morales
authors.forename: Rafael Toledano
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falip
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: María Eugenia
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil-Nagel
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000078334:Lacosamide; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000078334:Lacosamide