Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
An open-label study of levetiracetam at individualised doses between 1000 and 3000 mg day(-1) in adult patients with refractory epilepsy.
The novel antiepileptic drug (AED) levetiracetam (LEV, Keppra) is indicated as adjunctive therapy for partial epilepsy. The primary aim of this study was to measure the safety and tolerability of LEV individualised dosing in a heterogeneous refractory epilepsy population. ⋯ LEV was well tolerated, as evidenced by limited adverse event reporting and the high retention rate, and appeared effective in both generalised and partial epilepsy.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam during 1-year follow-up in patients with refractory epilepsy.
Levetiracetam (LEV) is a new antiepileptic drug shown to be effective for the treatment of partial seizures in pivotal clinical trials. We investigated the long-term efficacy and tolerability of LEV as add-on therapy, regardless of seizure type, especially in persons who would not be eligible for clinical trials due to factors such as mental retardation and concomitant psychiatric disorders. ⋯ Levetiracetam appears to be well tolerated in patients with severe epilepsy and shows efficacy in a long-term follow-up. Behavioral adverse events were noted in a small number of patients and occurred mainly in patients who had a history of behavioral disturbance or were mentally retarded. These data from an open population are consistent with the findings of clinical trials.