Efficacy of Zonisamide – Levetiracetam Comedication in Nine Adult Patients with Difficult to Treat Epilepsy and Intellectual Disability (A Case Series Report)
Journal Title: Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS) - Year 2012, Vol 5, Issue 1
Abstract
Aim: Few studies have concerned anticonvulsive combination therapies in epilepsies resistant to established antiepileptic drugs in monotherapy. We sought to delineate the effects of zonisamide – levetiracetam comedication (ZNS+LEV) in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Material and Methods: Nine adult patients with drug resistant epilepsies and ID were treated in a routine outpatient setting with LEV or ZNS in combination with other anticonvulsants first and in a combination of both of them (ZNS+LEV) thereafter. Seizure frequency and behavioural effects were recorded in patients treated who approved to benefit from the combination of both substances but not when treated with only either of them. Results: The longitudinal follow up of individual cases of patients with difficult to treat epilepsies and intellectual disabilitiy (ID) suggests that the combination of ZNS and LEV may be an effective and well tolerated option, even if LEV or ZNS alone or in either other combinations had failed to reduce seizure frequency. Conclusions: These findings may not be generalized but request to perform further controlled studies on the efficacy and tolerability of the anticonvulsive therapy of ZNS in combination with LEV.
Authors and Affiliations
Peter Martin | Séguin Clinic for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disability, Epilepsy Centre Kork, Landstr 1, D-77694 Kehl-Kork, Germany, Jörg Fahrbach| Séguin Clinic for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disability, Epilepsy Centre Kork, Landstr 1, D-77694 Kehl-Kork, Germany
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP8851
- DOI 10.3889/MJMS.1857-5773.2011.0211
- Views 304
- Downloads 15
Nasal Tip Projection: Asymmetries after Rhinoplasty
Background: Nasal tip projection has been defined as the distance along a perpendicular line from the vertical facial plane to the most anterior projecting point of the nasal tip. The tripod concept, although an oversi...
Hashimoto Thyroiditis in Childhood – Review of the Epidemiology, Genetic Susceptibility and Clinical Aspects of the Disease
Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of thyroid diseases in children and adolescents. It is also the most common cause of acquired hypothyroidism with or without goi...
Intestinal Submucosal Lipomas
Background: Gastrointestinal tract is uncommon localization for lipomas, but if present they are 90% submucosal and 10% subserosal. Intestinal submucosal lipomas are the most common benign nonepithelial intestinal tumo...
Presence of Chlamydia Trachomatis in the Women’s Urethra During a Concomitant Generic Infection of Cervix Uteri
The objective of our research was to determine the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the women’s urethra in patients with an infection of cervix but without symptoms for a urinary infection. The study included 74...
A Randomized Double Blind Clinical Study on the Efficacy of Low Level Laser Therapy in Reducing Pain After Simple Third Molar Extraction
Aim. The aim of this clinical study was to test the efficacy of Low level laser therapy (LLLT) in controlling post-operative pain after simple third molar extraction in a double blind, randomized placebo control study....