One Night Dose of Levetiracetam Works Well for Kids

Source: Scientific reports

Summary

Researchers studied a type of epilepsy called self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) in 192 children. They wanted to find out how effective and safe different ways of giving a medication called levetiracetam were for treating this condition. The children were divided into three groups: one group took the medication in two doses, another group took it as a single dose at night, and the third group took it in two equal doses throughout the day.

The key findings showed that the group taking the single night-time dose had similar success in controlling seizures and improving brain activity compared to the group taking two doses. This group also needed a lower amount of medication and reported fewer behavior problems like anxiety and conduct issues. Additionally, the children who took the single dose were more satisfied with their treatment and stuck to it better than those who took the medication in two doses.

These results are important because they suggest that a single night-time dose of levetiracetam can be just as effective as other dosing methods while being easier for children and their families to manage. However, the study has some limitations, such as being conducted in a specific group of children, which means more research is needed to confirm these findings in a broader population.

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