title: [Clinical experience with lacosamide in Galicia: the GALACO study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lacosamide is a sodium channel blocker antiepileptic drug authorized as an adjunctive therapy for focal seizures in adolescents and adults.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the efficacy and safety of lacosamide in Galicia according to its use in daily clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study in patients who started treatment with lacosamide between January 2014 and June 2013 in 10 hospitals in Galicia, Spain. Its efficacy and safety at 3, 6 and 12 months after starting lacosamide was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 184 patients with a mean age of 44.2 ± 17.4 years old; 56.5% (n = 104) were male; 173 patients constituted the efficacy population. Mean duration of epilepsy was 18.8 ± 15.5 years. Seizure frequency was 2.5 ± 1.6 episodes/month. After 12 months, 68.2% of patients (n = 118) had >= 50% improvement (responders) and among them, 54 (45.8% of responder patients) were seizure free. Twenty-three percent (n = 43) suffered from adverse events after 12 months, being dizziness (10.3%) and instability (3.3%) the most frequently reported. After the 12 month visit, 87.5% of patients (n = 161) continued treatment with lacosamide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lacosamide provides a very good efficacy and safety profile for patients with focal refractory epilepsy. High percentage of responders may be related to a less refractory population compared to other daily clinical practice studies. It constitutes an attractive therapeutic option for the treatment of focal epilepsies.
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Espana.
authors.forename: Xiana
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Osorio
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Espana.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Lopez-Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Hospital Povisa, 36211 Vigo, Espana.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pato-Pato
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, 36001 Pontevedra, Espana.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cebrian-Perez
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Juan Canalejo, 15006 A Coruna, Espana.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marey-Lopez
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Espana.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corredera-Garcia
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Juan Canalejo, 15006 A Coruna, Espana.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubio-Nazabal
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, 36200 Vigo, Espana.
authors.forename: M Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Castro-Vilanova
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario Arquitecto Marcide - Profesor Novoa Santos, 15405 El Ferrol, Espana.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abella-Corral
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, 36001 Pontevedra, Espana.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Regal
authors.affiliation: Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, 36001 Pontevedra, Espana.
authors.forename: M Campo
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Amigo-Jorrin
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, Lugo, Espana.
authors.forename: Robustiano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pego-Reigosa
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000078334:Lacosamide; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D000078334:Lacosamide