| Title: |
Zonisamide in children and young adults with refractory epilepsy: An open label, multicenter Italian study |
| Authors: |
COPPOLA, Giuseppe; PARISI, Pietro; MANGANO, Salvatore; GROSSO, S; VERROTTI, A; LUCHETTI, A; FRANZONI, E; PELLICCIA, A; OPERTO, FF; IANNETTI, P; CURATOLO, P; BALESTRI, P; PASCOTTO, A. |
| Contributors: |
COPPOLA, G; GROSSO, S; VERROTTI, A; PARISI, P; LUCHETTI, A; FRANZONI, E; MANGANO, S; PELLICCIA, A; OPERTO, FF; IANNETTI, P; CURATOLO, P; BALESTRI, P; PASCOTTO, A |
| Publisher Information: |
Elsevier B.V. |
| Publication Year: |
2009 |
| Collection: |
IRIS Università degli Studi di Palermo |
| Subject Terms: |
Epilepsy; Zonisamide; Pediatric epilepsy; Antiepileptic drugs; Settore MED/39 - Neuropsichiatria Infantile |
| Description: |
PURPOSE: To report on the first multicenter Italian experience with zonisamide as an add-on drug for refractory generalised or partial epilepsy in children, adolescents and young adults. METHODS: The patients were enrolled in a prospective, add-on, open-label treatment study from eight Italian centres for children and adolescent epilepsy care. Eighty-two young patients (45 males, 37 females), aged between 3 and 34 years (mean 13.1 years), all affected by partial (47) or generalised (35) refractory epilepsy, were enrolled in the study. ZNS was added to the baseline therapy at a starting dose of 1 mg/kg/day twice daily. This dose was increased by 2 mg/kg every 1-2 weeks over a period of up 3 months, according to the patient's response and tolerability, up to a maximum dose of 12 mg/kg. ZNS was given at the mean daily dose of 5.7/mg/kg/24 h (range 1-12 mg/kg). RESULTS: After a mean follow-up period of 11.9 months (range 2-64 months), 9 patients (10.9%) were seizure-free. The number of seizures decreased by 50-99% in 31 cases (37.8%), by 25-49% in 5 cases (6.1%), remained the same in 29 cases (35.4%) and increased in 8 cases (9.7%). After 15 months of follow-up, 61 patients (74.4%) were still taking ZNS, while the remaining 21 (25.6%) had stopped. Twenty-two patients (26.8%) reported adverse effects while taking ZNS. They generally appeared during the first weeks of treatment, and were mild to moderate. The most frequent adverse effects were irritability and a reduced appetite. CONCLUSION: ZNS effectively reduced seizure frequency in this pediatric population with both partial and generalised crypto/symptomatic refractory epilepsy. Its overall tolerability was good. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/19081227; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000263818400003; firstpage:112; lastpage:116; numberofpages:5; journal:EPILEPSY RESEARCH; https://hdl.handle.net/10447/50695 |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2008.10.012 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/10447/50695; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2008.10.012 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.EC68C93C |
| Database: |
BASE |