ABSTRACT
Children, 47, with various types of severe drug-resistant epilepsy were entered into a prospective, add-on, open trial with vigabatrin. Patients with West syndrome and idiopathic generalized epilepsies were excluded. Seven children had the drug withdrawn, five because of increase in seizure frequency and two because of adverse effects. Drug efficacy, measured according to seizure type, showed a 100% decrease in seizure frequency in 18.6% of partial seizures and 17.3% of the generalized seizures. There was a higher than 50% decrease in 39.5% of partial and 60.8% of generalized seizures, and less than 50% decrease or increase in seizure frequency in 41.8% and 21.8% of partial and generalized seizures, respectively. Vigabatrin mean dosage during phase 3 was 63.6 mg/kg per day (S.D. = 30.5), ranging from 19.3 to 110.5 mg/kg per day. Parametric statistical analysis (Student's t-test) of seizure frequency between phases 1 and 3 showed a significant decrease in seizure frequency for partial (P = 0.022), and generalized seizures (P < 0.0001). Drug-related adverse effects were observed in 18/47 cases (38.3%), consisting mainly of irritability, hyperactivity, dizziness, somnolence and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Subject(s)
Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use , Epilepsies, Partial/drug therapy , Epilepsy, Generalized/drug therapy , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/analogs & derivatives , Adolescent , Anticonvulsants/adverse effects , Brazil , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Male , Prospective Studies , Vigabatrin , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/adverse effects , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/therapeutic useABSTRACT
EEG changes associated with the use of chloral hydrate (50 mg/Kg) to induce sleep were evaluated in 50 epileptic children (ages 1 to 12 years), either taking no anticonvulsants or on monotherapy. It was observed that chloral hydrate was capable of inducing sleep without side effects and was capable of modifying the sleep EEG, improving organization of sleep spindles and generalized paroxysms.
Subject(s)
Chloral Hydrate/pharmacology , Electroencephalography/drug effects , Epilepsy/physiopathology , Polysomnography/drug effects , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , MaleABSTRACT
Estudo das variaçöes do EEG paroxístico provocadas pelo uso do hidrato de cloral a 20 por cento, na dose de 50mg/Kg, na induçäo do sono em 50 crianças epilépticas de 1 a 12 anos de idade, em monoterapia ou sem anticonvulsivantes. Foi observado que o hidrato de cloral é capaz de induzir o sono sem efeitos colaterais e é capaz de modificar o EEG em sono, melhorando a organizaçäo dos fusos de sono e diminuindo os paroxismos generalizados
