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Pharmacology and Therapeutic Aspects of Antiepileptic Drugs in Pediatrics
- Source :
- Journal of Child Neurology. 9:281-287
- Publication Year :
- 1994
- Publisher :
- SAGE Publications, 1994.
-
Abstract
- In the past year, several new antiepileptic drugs have emerged that have potential benefits for children with epilepsy. The spectrum of adverse effects is the principal feature that differentiates among the older drugs used to treat partial and related seizures, including simple partial, complex partial, and partial secondarily generalized seizures. Based on studies in adults with refractory seizures, the new or investigational compounds felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, and vigabatrin should be active against these types of seizures in children, but none of them have been subjected to pediatric randomized controlled trials, and no studies have been done that compare new and old drugs in this category. Thus, the new drugs hold promise in children with these types of seizures, but their role relative to old drugs has not been elucidated. Several of the new drugs are active against myoclonic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures, but thus far, none have been proven to possess antiabsence activity in children. Open-label investigations suggest that lamotrigine may be helpful in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and vigabatrin in infantile spasms. Only felbamate has been evaluated in a randomized controlled study in children, in which it has proven beneficial against astatic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Whereas investigations of these and other novel drugs are ongoing, this is an active and exciting period in pediatric antiepileptic drug development. (J Child Neurol 1994;9(Suppl):2S1-2S7).
- Subjects :
- Pediatrics
medicine.medical_specialty
genetic structures
Gabapentin
business.industry
030204 cardiovascular system & hematology
Lamotrigine
Pharmacology
medicine.disease
Vigabatrin
law.invention
Felbamate
03 medical and health sciences
Epilepsy
0302 clinical medicine
Randomized controlled trial
law
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
medicine
Secondarily generalized seizures
Neurology (clinical)
business
Adverse effect
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17088283 and 08830738
- Volume :
- 9
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Child Neurology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........83e66f3eb7a10a2ee5836d64606e317d