Levetiracetam in refractory pediatric epilepsy

Levetiracetam, one of the newer-generation antiepilepsy drugs, is not currently approved for use in children. Given its favorable efficacy, pharmacokinetic, and, particularly, safety profile in adults, we felt that it may be a useful antiepilepsy drug for children with refractory epilepsy. We treated 39 patients (mean age 8.6 years) with open-label levetiracetam for up to 9 months. Seizure frequency, drug dosages, adverse events, and neurologic examinations were documented at baseline and routine follow-up visits. Levetiracetam, as add-on therapy, was effective in reducing seizure frequency in a variety of seizure types but was most effective for partial-onset seizures. Fourteen patients were discontinued for lack of efficacy or adverse events. Ten patients reported improvements in cognition or behavior. Levetiracetam was generally effective and well tolerated in this open-label study. Its apparent positive effects on cognition in some patients are encouraging. Large, well-controlled studies are needed to fully define levetiracetam's potential in children with refractory epilepsy.