title: Efficacy and safety of add-on levetiracetam in refractory childhood epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) in refractory epileptic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group included 61 outpatients (7 generalized, 48 localization-related, 3 undetermined, 3 unclassified) aged between 16 months and 18 years. LEV was given twice daily at a total dose of 10 mg/kg/day. The final mean dose was 50.7 mg/kg/day. The mean number of prior anti-epileptic drugs was 5.2. The entire treatment period was more than 6 months after LEV administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen children (24.6%) became seizure-free for 6 months after starting LEV, and 18 (29.5%) had a seizure reduction of more than 50% for the entire 6 months. The response rate was 33/61 (54.1%). Responders included 2/3 of patients (66.7%) with epilepsy with continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep and 13/19 (68.4%) with frontal lobe epilepsy. The effective dosage of LEV in the responders demonstrated a wide range (mean, 46.1 mg/kg/day; range, 19.4-59.1 mg/kg/day), and showed bimodal distribution. Adverse events occurred in only two patients who did not require LEV discontinuation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LEV represents an important addition to the treatments available for refractory epileptic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110 Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan. ykimu@yamanashi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanemura
authors.forename: Fumikazu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tando
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aihara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam