title: [Efficacy of levetiracetam combined with short-term clonazepam in treatment of electrical status epilepticus during sleep in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) combined with short-term clonazepam (CZP) in the treatment of electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen children (9 boys and 6 girls) diagnosed with BECCT with ESES, who had continuous spike-and-wave accounting for over 85% of the non-rapid eye movement sleep as monitored by 24-hours ambulatory EEG or 3-hours video EEG, were enrolled. The clinical manifestations and EEG characteristics of patients were retrospectively analyzed. These children received two months of CZP treatment in addition to oral LEV [20-40 mg/(kg·d)]. All patients were followed up for 6-18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 15 children were orally given LEV in the early stage, but showed no improvement when reexamined by EEG or had seizures during treatment. Then, they received LEV in combination with short-term CZP. Re-examinations at 1 and 6 months after treatment showed that 14 cases had significantly reduced discharge (only little discharge in the Rolandic area) or no discharge, as well as completely controlled seizure; one case had recurrent ESES and two epileptic seizures during follow-up. The recurrent case received the combination therapy again, and re-examinations 1 and 6 months later revealed normal EEG; no seizure occurred in the 8 months of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LEV combined with short-term CZP is effective and has few side effects in treating ESES syndrome among children with BECCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. sanqingx@163.com.
authors.forename: Tang-Feng
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: San-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D010889:Piracetam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D002998:Clonazepam; D010889:Piracetam