title: Retention rate of Gabapentin in children with intractable epilepsies at 1 year.
abstract: Gabapentin (GAB) is a newer second-line antiepileptic drug (AED) used in children. This is a multi-centre retrospective observational study of the efficacy, tolerability and retention rate in 105 children, aged 0-17.5 years (mean 10.1) over a 14 year period. The median age of epilepsy onset was 2.5 years (range 0-14.6). 72% started GAB as at least the 3rd AED, with 43% having been withdrawn from at least 2 AEDs. 77% had focal and 52% symptomatic epilepsies. The maintenance doses for GAB ranged 6.0-87.3 mg/kg/day (mean 43.7). The study comprised 157 person-treatment years for GAB. GAB was well tolerated with 55% remaining on treatment beyond 1 year. No serious adverse events were reported whilst on GAB, but 39% reported possibly and probably related adverse events. Seizure improvement (<50% seizure frequency compared to baseline) at more than 12 months of treatment, was reported in 35% of patients starting GAB, including 6% who remained seizure free. The results demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of GAB in children with difficult to treat epilepsies, and a good response to treatment beyond 12 months, in both focal and generalised epilepsies.
authors: School of Clinical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
authors: J K A
authors: JK
authors: Mills
authors: N E
authors: NE
authors: Ruslan
authors: T G
authors: TG
authors: Lewis
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Mughal
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Ugar
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Wassmer
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Siddiqua
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Gupta
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Mordekar
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sharma
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Sasidharan
authors: W P
authors: WP
authors: Whitehouse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin