Vigabatrin Reduces Seizures in Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Patients

Source: Journal of the neurological sciences

Summary

A study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of vigabatrin, a medication for epilepsy, in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). This condition often does not respond well to standard treatments. The trial involved children aged 2 to 18 years who were monitored for four weeks before being randomly assigned to receive either vigabatrin or a placebo (a non-active treatment) for 12 weeks. The main goal was to see if vigabatrin could reduce the number of drop attacks, a specific type of seizure.

The results showed that more children taking vigabatrin experienced a significant reduction in drop attacks compared to those on the placebo—51.7% versus 8.9%. Additionally, vigabatrin helped decrease other types of seizures and increased the number of days without seizures. While both groups reported similar side effects, sedation was more common in those taking vigabatrin. Overall, the findings suggest that vigabatrin is effective in managing seizures in children with LGS.

This study is important because it provides evidence that vigabatrin can help children with a challenging form of epilepsy. However, it is worth noting that some children dropped out of the study, which may affect the results. More research is needed to confirm these findings and to better understand the long-term effects of vigabatrin in this population.

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