Lacosamide May Help Reduce Seizures in Children with Epilepsy

Source: Seizure

Summary

This study looked at how effective and safe the medication lacosamide (LCM) is for children and teenagers with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), which means their seizures do not respond well to standard treatments. Researchers reviewed data from twelve studies involving 503 young patients under 18 years old who were given LCM in addition to their other epilepsy medications. They wanted to understand how well LCM worked over time and how different factors, like age and dosage, affected its effectiveness.

The key findings showed that about 22% of the children became seizure-free after using LCM, while 61% had at least a 50% reduction in seizures within three months. However, some children experienced side effects, with 28% reporting issues like drowsiness and irritability. Younger children (under 2 years) had a lower chance of improvement compared to older kids. Interestingly, lower doses of LCM seemed to work better in the short term, but they also led to more side effects and discontinuations.

These findings are important because they suggest that lacosamide can help reduce seizures in children with difficult-to-treat epilepsy, but it also comes with risks that need to be managed. The study highlights that age, dosage, and the cause of epilepsy can affect how well the treatment works, which means doctors should tailor treatment plans for each child. However, the study has limitations, such as the lack of long-term follow-up and the need for more controlled trials to confirm these results.

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