title: Subclinical epileptiform activity in children with electrical status epilepticus during sleep: effects on cognition and behavior before and after treatment with levetiracetam.
abstract: We performed a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of the effects of spike activity during sleep and when awake on learning, long-term memory, vigilance and behavior before and after treatment with levetiracetam in children with electrical status epilepticus during sleep. At baseline, verbal learning declined with increasing spike activity, but there were no relations between spike activity and memory, vigilance or behavior. Levetiracetam was effective in reducing sleep-related spike activity, but on a group level, this had no clear effects on behavior, vigilance or learning and memory. Our results do not allow firm conclusions whether to treat nocturnal epileptiform activity or not; larger samples and longer follow-up may be needed.
authors: National Centre for Epilepsy, Oslo University Hospital, Norway. helgeb@epilepsy.no
authors: Helge
authors: H
authors: Bjørnæs
authors: Kristin A
authors: KA
authors: Bakke
authors: Pål Gunnar
authors: PG
authors: Larsson
authors: Einar
authors: E
authors: Heminghyt
authors: Elisif
authors: E
authors: Rytter
authors: Line M
authors: LM
authors: Brager-Larsen
authors: Ann-Sofie
authors: AS
authors: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012890:Sleep; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam