title: Cognitive and behavioral effects of new antiepileptic drugs in pediatric epilepsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In pediatric epilepsy, neurodevelopmental comorbidities could be sometimes even more disabling than seizures themselves, therefore it is crucial for the clinicians to understand how to benefit these children, and to choose the proper antiepileptic drug for the treatment of epilepsy associated to a specific neurodevelopmental disorder. Aim of this paper is to discuss the potential impact on cognition and behavior of new and newest AEDs and to guide the choice of the clinicians for a targeted use in epilepsy associated with specific neurodevelopmental disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information in this review is mainly based on peer-reviewed medical publications from 2002 until October 2016 (PubMed). We choose to include in our review only the AEDs of second and third generation approved for pediatric population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vigabatrin, lamotrigine, topiramate, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, zonisamide, rufinamide, lacosamide, eslicarbazepine, and perampanel have been included in this review. The most tolerated AEDs from a cognitive and behavioral point of view are lamotrigine and rufinamide, thus representing optimal drugs for children with cognitive and/or attention problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the new AEDs are initially licensed for adult patients. Data on children are usually very limited, both in terms of efficacy and safety, and the use standardized cognitive and behavioral outcome measures are very limited in pediatric clinical trials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several factors including polytherapy, administration of AEDs with the same mechanism of action and the dose and titration of the drug, should be considered as important in the development of cognitive and behavioral side effects.
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy; Child Neurology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: rominamoavero@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moavero
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Santarone
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galasso
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Curatolo
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: Antiepileptic drugs; Behavior; Children; Cognition; Epilepsy