RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, CLINICAL-TRIAL OF D-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN-E) AS ADD-ON THERAPY IN UNCONTROLLED EPILEPSY

In a double-blind, cross-over trial, vitamin E, and placebo were compa red as add-on therapy in 43 patients with uncontrolled epilepsy. The s tudy consisted of a 3-month baseline period followed by two treatment phases of vitamin E or placebo with cross-over to the second phase aft er 3 months. No significant side effects were noted during the study. Mean seizure frequency in the baseline period was 15.9 +/- 10.5 as com pared with 11.8 +/- 10.9 during the placebo phase and 13.7 +/- 11.1 du ring the vitamin E phase. No significant change in seizure frequency w as observed with vitamin E as compared with placebo (p > 0.1). Similar observation was noted in subgroups with generalized seizures (n = 25) , partial with secondarily generalized seizures (n = 11), or complex p artial seizures (CPS) (n = 7). This study did not corroborate the earl ier claims of therapeutic efficacy of vitamin E as add-on therapy in r efractory epilepsy in adults.