Rationale: The aimof this studywas to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy in patients with post-traumatic epilepsy. Methods: Six patients with post-traumatic epilepsy entered the study.All presented complex partial seizures, with secondary generalization in 3 cases. At study enter 3 patients were already treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs): these patients were seizure free but all reported severe side effects related to AED treatment. The remaining 3 patients were not treated at study entry: two of them had received AEDs in the past, but had discontinued treatment because of side effects, while the last one was a 70-year old man who had never been treated with AEDs and who reported also severe memory disturbances after the trauma. These 3 patients still presented seizures. LEV was initially given as add on therapy in the 3 treated patients: concomitant AED treatment was slowly withdrawn in the following months and the patients were left on LEV monotherapy. The 3 untreated patients received LEV in monotherapy since the beginning. Follow up with LEV monotherapy was at least 12 months in all patients. Results: In the 3 patients who were already seizure free, switch from previous AED treatment to LEV monotherapy was accompanied by persisting complete control of seizures; side effects related to previous AED treatment disappeared with relevant improvement of quality of life. In the 3 untreated patients LEV resulted in complete seizure control without side effects. The elderly patient showed also a considerable improvement of memory disturbances, possibly related to control of infraclinic seizures. Conclusions: In our small series LEV was effective in treating post- traumatic seizures, showing also a good tolerability without adverse effects on memory, behaviour and cognitive state. This is particularly important since memory disturbances and cognitive impairment are frequent after severe head trauma.
Use of levetiracetam monotherapy in patients with post-traumatic epilepsy: preliminary data / R., Meo; Bilo, Leonilda; P., Ruosi; DE LEVA, MARIA FULVIA. - In: EPILEPSIA. - ISSN 0013-9580. - STAMPA. - 47, Suppl 4:(2006), pp. 165-166.
Use of levetiracetam monotherapy in patients with post-traumatic epilepsy: preliminary data
BILO, LEONILDA;DE LEVA, MARIA FULVIA
2006
Abstract
Rationale: The aimof this studywas to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy in patients with post-traumatic epilepsy. Methods: Six patients with post-traumatic epilepsy entered the study.All presented complex partial seizures, with secondary generalization in 3 cases. At study enter 3 patients were already treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs): these patients were seizure free but all reported severe side effects related to AED treatment. The remaining 3 patients were not treated at study entry: two of them had received AEDs in the past, but had discontinued treatment because of side effects, while the last one was a 70-year old man who had never been treated with AEDs and who reported also severe memory disturbances after the trauma. These 3 patients still presented seizures. LEV was initially given as add on therapy in the 3 treated patients: concomitant AED treatment was slowly withdrawn in the following months and the patients were left on LEV monotherapy. The 3 untreated patients received LEV in monotherapy since the beginning. Follow up with LEV monotherapy was at least 12 months in all patients. Results: In the 3 patients who were already seizure free, switch from previous AED treatment to LEV monotherapy was accompanied by persisting complete control of seizures; side effects related to previous AED treatment disappeared with relevant improvement of quality of life. In the 3 untreated patients LEV resulted in complete seizure control without side effects. The elderly patient showed also a considerable improvement of memory disturbances, possibly related to control of infraclinic seizures. Conclusions: In our small series LEV was effective in treating post- traumatic seizures, showing also a good tolerability without adverse effects on memory, behaviour and cognitive state. This is particularly important since memory disturbances and cognitive impairment are frequent after severe head trauma.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.