Treatment of myoclonic seizures in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

Stéphane AuvinDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France; Pharmacology Laboratory, Lille Medical School, Lille, FranceAbstract: Drug treatment of Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is mainly based on clinical experience and prospective and retrospective studies, with little evidence from randomized clinical trials. There are no head-to-head comparisons between old and new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and no drugs licensed specifically for JME. Valproate is unquestionably the drug of the first choice in men with JME. In women, lamotrigine should be preferred regarding teratogenicity and side effects of valproate. In addition, levetiracetam and topiramate are effective and can be use in combination or as second line treatment. Some AEDs can aggravate JME. In addition of AEDs, non-pharmacological treatments are important in JME. JME usually require lifelong treatment because seizures nearly always return after withdrawal of therapy.Keywords: myoclonic seizure, myoclonic epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs