title: Tolerability and efficacy of perampanel in children with refractory epilepsy.
abstract: There are few reports on the tolerability and efficacy of perampanel, a new antiepileptic drug with a novel mechanism of action, in children and adolescents. We aimed to describe our experience with perampanel add-on and mono-therapy in children with refractory epilepsy.
  
  
  
  Computerized medical records of children treated with perampanel in the paediatric neurology clinic from December 2012 to October 2015 were reviewed.
  
  
  
  Twenty-four children treated with perampanel (15 females, 9 males) aged 1 year 6 months to 17 years (mean 10y, standard deviation [SD] 4y 5mo) were identified. Adverse events were more common in children aged 12 years or older (89%) compared to younger children (53%), and were mainly behavioural. Ten (42%) children had 50 per cent or higher seizure reduction, two (8%) children had 33 per cent seizure reduction, and seizures were less severe in one (4%) child. Perampanel was discontinued in 13 (54%) children mostly due to adverse events. The mean duration of follow-up in the remaining 11 children was 8.1 months (SD 5.2) (range 1.3-17mo).
  
  
  
  Perampanel is associated with a relatively high rate of behavioural adverse events mostly in adolescents with refractory epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heyman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.|Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lahat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Neurology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Mirit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazinger
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Matitiahu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berkovitch
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Electroencephalography Laboratory, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
authors.forename: Revital
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gandelman-Marton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000069279:Drug Resistant Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009570:Nitriles; D011728:Pyridones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D009570:Nitriles; D011728:Pyridones; C551441:perampanel