Clobazam as adjunctive therapy in drug-resistant seizures: clinical, EEG and psychological study

ABSTRACT

The anticonvulsant effect of clobazam in refractory epileptics of all types in different age groups was studied. Subjects were kept on their basic monotherapy antiepileptic regimens with phenytoin, valproic acid or carbamazepine [to which the response was unsatisfactory], in addition to 0.5-1 mg clobazam/kg/day for 6 months. Clinical, EGG and psychological assessments were carried out at the start, 3 months and at the end of the study. An improvement [50% reduction of seizure frequency or more] was noticed in 24 patients, but with no statistical significance. None of the subjects in this study developed tolerance. There was no correlation between the degree of the effect and serum levels of phenytoin and carbamazepine; while valproic acid was positively correlated, but without statistical significance. Normal EEG patterns were obtained in two patients. Although the present study was populated by negative sample of problem patients, the results were encouraging to recommend inclusion of clobazam in unproblematic cases with expected greater success rates than have been observed so far