Follow-up study on levetiracetam monotherapy in children with epilepsy / 中国当代儿科杂志
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
;
(12): 711-714, 2008.
Article
in Chinese
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-317350
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) in the treatment of epilepsy as a monotherapy in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two children with epilepsy (age ranged from 8 months to 12 years) and who had received LEV monotherapy were investigated by a self-controlled and open-label research. LEV was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg.d, and increased by 10 mg/kg.d per week till to the target dose (20-40 mg/kg.d), with a mean dose of 35 mg/kg.d.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-one patients were followed up for more than three months. Twenty-five patients (80.6%) had at least 50% reduction in seizures, 22 cases (70.9%) became seizure-free, and LEV therapy was discontinued in 5 patients (16.1%) due to either an inadequate seizure control or aggravated seizures. The therapy-related adverse events included mood and behavioral changes (6/31, 19.4%), asthenia (2/31, 6.5%), somnolence (2/31, 6.5%), and skin rashes (1/31, 3.2%). The adverse effects were spontaneously disappeared or disappeared after reducing the LEV dose.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LEV monotherapy is effective and safe for the control of partial and generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children with epilepsy. LEV appears to be a promising anti-epileptic drug for monotherapy in children with epilepsy.</p>
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Piracetam
/
Follow-Up Studies
/
Therapeutic Uses
/
Drug Therapy
/
Epilepsy
/
Anticonvulsants
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Language:
Chinese
Journal:
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
Year:
2008
Type:
Article
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