VIGABATRIN AS ADD-ON THERAPY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY - AN OPEN TRIAL

Seventy-seven children and adolescents with drug-resistant epilepsies received vigabatrin as add-on therapy for a median of 18 months (range 4-36 months) at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day divided in two doses. patients with spasms were given a maximum dose of 100 mg/kg/day. In 23 patient s (29.9%), seizure frequency decreased by 50-130% and in 12 patients ( 15.6%) by 25-50%. The number of seizures remained unchanged in 34 pati ents (44.1%) and increased in seven (9.1%). Vigabatrin was most effect ive in cryptogenic and symptomatic partial seizures (39% and 43%, resp ectively), and in infantile spasms (25%). Adverse events occurred in 2 0 patients (26%), though they were generally mild and transient, sugge sting that vigabatrin is well tolerated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V .