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Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (lennox-gastaut + syndrome)
Selected AbstractsOutcome of vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy in BudapestEPILEPSIA, Issue 2010Katalin Müller Summary Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a nonpharmacologic therapeutic option for patients with intractable epilepsy. Better clinical outcomes were recorded in nonfocal and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). We conducted a 2-year, open label, prospective study to measure the seizure outcome of 26 VNS patients. The seizure numbers were assessed using clinician's global impression scale (CGI) and patient diaries. The average seizure reduction was 23% at the first year and 22% at the second year. Seizure reduction was more pronounced among patients with nonfocal than with focal epilepsy. The response rate was 50% at first year and 30% at the second year. The best CGI record for clinically significant improvement was 15% in the LGS group. The only statistically significant result was the reduction of the generalized tonic,clonic seizures (GTCS). The side-effect profile was good; however, the large number of mild and reversible effects influenced the stimulation parameters and thus probably the effectiveness of the therapy. We suggest that VNS is an optional treatment mostly in cases of therapy-resistant Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Patients with GTCS may experience improvement such as reduction of seizure severity. We conclude that VNS is a safe neuromodulatory treatment, but future developments of neuromodulatory approaches are needed. [source] A blinded, crossover study of the efficacy of the ketogenic dietEPILEPSIA, Issue 2 2009John M. Freeman Summary Despite over 80 years of use, the ketogenic diet (KD) has never been tested in a blinded manner. Twenty children with intractable Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) were fasted 36 h and then randomized to receive the classic KD in conjunction with a solution containing either 60 g/day of glucose or saccharin. Parents and physicians were blinded to both the solution composition and level of ketosis. A crossover to the KD with the alternate solution occurred following the sixth day and a repeat fast. A 24-h electroencephalography (EEG) was obtained at baseline and after each arm. After administration of the solution, there was moderate evidence of a reduction in parent-reported seizures between the glucose and saccharin arms, with a median difference of 1.5 seizures per day (p = 0.07). There was no reduction in the number of EEG-identified events, with a median reduction of 7 events per day (p = 0.33). Ketosis was not completely eliminated in the glucose-added arm. [source] Rufinamide: Clinical pharmacokinetics and concentration,response relationships in patients with epilepsyEPILEPSIA, Issue 7 2008Emilio Perucca Summary Rufinamide is a new, orally active antiepileptic drug (AED), which has been found to be effective in the treatment of partial seizures and drop attacks associated with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. When taken with food, rufinamide is relatively well absorbed in the lower dose range, with approximately dose-proportional plasma concentrations up to 1,600 mg/day, but less than dose-proportional plasma concentrations at higher doses due to reduced oral bioavailability. Rufinamide is not extensively bound to plasma proteins. During repeated dosing, steady state is reached within 2 days, consistent with its elimination half-life of 6,10 h. The apparent volume of distribution (Vd/F) and apparent oral clearance (CL/F) are related to body size, the best predictor being body surface area. Rufinamide is not a substrate of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes and is extensively metabolized via hydrolysis by carboxylesterases to a pharmacologically inactive carboxylic acid derivative, which is excreted in the urine. Rufinamide pharmacokinetics are not affected by impaired renal function. Potential differences in rufinamide pharmacokinetics between children and adults have not been investigated systematically in formal studies. Although population pharmacokinetic modeling suggests that in the absence of interacting comedication rufinamide CL/F may be higher in children than in adults, a meaningful comparison of data across age groups is complicated by age-related differences in doses and in proportion of patients receiving drugs known to increase or to decrease rufinamide CL/F. A study investigating the effect of rufinamide on the pharmacokinetics of the CYP3A4 substrate triazolam and an oral contraceptive interaction study showed that rufinamide has some enzyme-inducing potential in man. Findings from population pharmacokinetic modeling indicate that rufinamide does not modify the CL/F of topiramate or valproic acid, but may slightly increase the CL/F of carbamazepine and lamotrigine and slightly decrease the CL/F of phenobarbital and phenytoin (all predicted changes were <20%). These changes in the pharmacokinetics of associated AEDs are unlikely to make it necessary to change the dosages of these AEDs given concomitantly with rufinamide, with the exception that consideration should be given to reducing the dose of phenytoin. Based on population pharmacokinetic modeling, lamotrigine, topiramate, or benzodiazepines do not affect the pharmacokinetics of rufinamide, but valproic acid may increase plasma rufinamide concentrations, especially in children in whom plasma rufinamide concentrations could be increased substantially. Conversely, comedication with carbamazepine, vigabatrin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and primidone was associated with a slight-to-moderate decrease in plasma rufinamide concentrations, ranging from a minimum of ,13.7% in female children comedicated with vigabatrin to a maximum of ,46.3% in female adults comedicated with phenytoin, phenobarbital, or primidone. In population modeling using data from placebo-controlled trials, a positive correlation has been identified between reduction in seizure frequency and steady-state plasma rufinamide concentrations. The probability of adverse effects also appears to be concentration-related. [source] Adjunctive rufinamide in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: a long-term, open-label extension studyACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2010G. Kluger Kluger G, Glauser T, Krauss G, Seeruthun R, Perdomo C, Arroyo S. Adjunctive rufinamide in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: a long-term, open-label extension study. Acta Neurol Scand: 122: 202,208. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objective,,, This open-label extension evaluated the long-term efficacy and tolerability of rufinamide in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) who had previously completed a 12-week double-blind study. Materials and methods,,, In total, 124 patients (aged 4,37 years), receiving 1,3 concomitant antiepileptic drugs, were treated with rufinamide ,25,60 mg/kg/day. Efficacy was assessed by seizure frequency; tolerability by adverse events (AEs) and laboratory tests. Results,,, Overall, patients were treated with rufinamide for a median (range) of 432 (10,1149) days. Reductions in seizure frequency were observed throughout the study; during the last 12 months of treatment, 41.0% and 47.9% of patients had ,50% reduction in total and tonic,atonic seizure frequency, respectively. The most common AEs were vomiting (30.6%) and pyrexia (25.8%). Conclusions,,, In this open-label extension, rufinamide appeared to be an effective long-term adjunctive therapy for the treatment of LGS-associated seizures in children and young adults. [source] | ||||||||||