Use of levetiracetam in treating epilepsy associated with other medical conditions

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy on valproic acid and levetiracetam for epilepsy: a case report

This study presents a rare case of unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis treated surgically in a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was born at 27 weeks' gestation and developed grade III intraventricular haemorrhage and periventricular leucomalacia and was on antiepileptic drugs, including valproic acid and levetiracetam for >3 years. The patient had no history of endocrine, renal, and significant familial diseases.

Long-term safety, efficacy, and tolerability of levetiracetam in pediatric patients with epilepsy in Uygur, China: A retrospective analysis

PURPOSE

Levetiracetam is approved as an add-on therapy to treat refractory partial seizures in pediatric patients over four years old. The efficacy and safety in pediatric patients with epilepsy in Uygur, China, is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of levetiracetam in pediatric patients with epilepsy in Uygur, China.

METHODS

This retrospective study compared the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam monotherapy and in combination with other antiseizure medications (ASMs) in 1055 pediatric patients with epilepsy treated with levetiracetam. The seizure frequencies at 1, 2, and 3 years after starting levetiracetam therapy were recorded and compared with the baseline yearly frequency. Safety variables included the incidence and type of adverse reactions.

RESULTS

A total of 680 (64%) pediatric patients responded to levetiracetam therapy with a more than 50% reduction in the frequency of seizures. Seizure-free rates increased over time, 13%, 15%, and 18% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. The number of baseline ASMs and the order of levetiracetam introduction were highly significant, impacting the likelihood of seizure remission during a 3-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). During levetiracetam treatment, 233 pediatric patients (22%) experienced at least one adverse reaction.

CONCLUSION

These significant findings indicate that levetiracetam is likely to become a widely prescribed ASM for epilepsy in pediatric clinical practice because of its long-term safety, efficacy, and tolerability.

The Impact of Anti-Epileptic Drugs on Growth and Bone Metabolism

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder worldwide and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are always the first choice for treatment. However, more than 50% of patients with epilepsy who take AEDs have reported bone abnormalities. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoenzymes are induced by AEDs, especially the classical AEDs, such as benzodiazepines (BZDs), carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PT), phenobarbital (PB), and valproic acid (VPA). The induction of CYP450 isoenzymes may cause vitamin D deficiency, hypocalcemia, increased fracture risks, and altered bone turnover, leading to impaired bone mineral density (BMD). Newer AEDs, such as levetiracetam (LEV), oxcarbazepine (OXC), lamotrigine (LTG), topiramate (TPM), gabapentin (GP), and vigabatrin (VB) have broader spectra, and are safer and better tolerated than the classical AEDs. The effects of AEDs on bone health are controversial. This review focuses on the impact of AEDs on growth and bone metabolism and emphasizes the need for caution and timely withdrawal of these medications to avoid serious disabilities.

Don't be afraid to treat depression in patients with epilepsy!

Major depression and related depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the general population and even more so in patients with epilepsy. Yet depression in these patients remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. This is particularly worrisome as depression has greater negative impact on quality of life than seizure frequency. Additionally, depression is associated with poorer seizure control, and the risk of suicide in patients with epilepsy is greatly increased. Reluctance to treat depression results from the traditional belief that antidepressants should be restricted in epilepsy because of a supposed decrease in seizure threshold. However, there is growing evidence that many antidepressants rather have anticonvulsant effects. Experimental studies show that in critical brain regions such as the frontal lobes and the limbic system enforced serotonergic circuits increase seizure threshold. Clinical data suggest that modern antidepressants may reduce seizure frequency in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Here we review the concept that selective reuptake inhibitors of serotonin (SSRIs) have a positive effect on the mood disorder as well as on epilepsy. When adhering to the usual precautions, treatment with SSRIs in patients with epilepsy and depression is safe and should not be withheld.

[Specificity of epileptic seizures in the elderly: A proposed electro-clinical scale]

Diagnosis of epileptic seizure may be difficult in older patients because seizure manifestations are often unusual: confusion, paresis... and because there are multiple differential diagnoses (syncope, transient ischemic attack, transient global amnesia...). To promote and facilitate the diagnosis of seizures in the elderly, neurologists and gerontologists must work together and focus their strategy on two points: firstly, the knowledge of the specific presentation of seizures in elderly patients, and secondly, the adoption of a reasoning based on seizures and not epileptic syndromes. A multidisciplinary group worked on epilepsy of the elderly to elaborate an electro-clinical score which aims to help establish the diagnosis of epilepsy in elderly patients in different clinical settings. This electro-clinical score is based on a systematic review of scientific literature and the recommendations are explicitly linked to supporting evidence. Further, clinical validation of the electro-clinical score is required.

Levetiracetam in the treatment of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic disorder that requires long-term antiepileptic drug therapy. Approximately one half of patients fail the initial antiepileptic drug and about 35% are refractory to medical therapy, highlighting the continued need for more effective and better tolerated drugs. Levetiracetam is an antiepileptic drug marketed since 2000. Its novel mechanism of action is modulation of synaptic neurotransmitter release through binding to the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A in the brain. Its pharmacokinetic advantages include rapid and almost complete absorption, minimal insignificant binding to plasma protein, absence of enzyme induction, absence of interactions with other drugs, and partial metabolism outside the liver. The availability of an intravenous preparation is yet another advantage. It has been demonstrated effective as adjunctive therapy for refractory partial-onset seizures, primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and myoclonic seizures of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. In addition, it was found equivalent to controlled release carbamazepine as first-line therapy for partial-onset seizures, both in efficacy and tolerability. Its main adverse effects in randomized adjunctive trials in adults have been somnolence, asthenia, infection, and dizziness. In children, the behavioral adverse effects of hostility and nervousness were also noted. Levetiracetam is an important addition to the treatment of epilepsy.

Levetiracetam, Phenytoin, and Valproate Act Differently on Rat Bone Mass, Structure, and Metabolism

PURPOSE

Long-term treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is associated with increased risk of fractures. Phenytoin (PHT) and valproate (VPA) have both been suggested to influence bone health, whereas levetiracetam (LEV) is scarcely studied. The present study compares the effect of these AEDs on bone mass, biomechanical strength, and bone turnover in rats.

METHODS

Female rats received PHT (50 mg/kg), VPA (300 mg/kg), or LEV (50 and 150 mg/kg) for 90 days. Dissected femurs were analyzed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), three-point cantilever bending, and histomorphological evaluation. Serum levels of biochemical bone turnover markers were monitored using immunoassay quantification.

RESULTS

PHT and VPA reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) in one or more bone compartments, whereas LEV did not. VPA induced increased bone turnover, whereas modest changes were observed for PHT. Interestingly, low-dose LEV was associated with reduced biomechanical strength of the femoral neck (mainly trabecular bone). In addition, low-dose LEV treatment resulted in significantly reduced levels of serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation. Histomorphological analyses indicated increased retention of cartilage remnants at the growth plate metaphysis of rats treated with low-dose LEV vs. controls.

CONCLUSIONS

PHT, VPA, and LEV exert differential effects on bone mass and strength, suggesting different mechanisms of action. The weakening effect of low-dose LEV on the femoral neck, despite a constant BMD, suggests a primary effect on bone quality. These findings warrant further human studies of possible adverse effects of LEV on bone development and growth, particularly in children and adolescents.

Use of Levetiracetam in Hospitalized Patients

PURPOSE

The objective of the study was to analyze the short-term efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) to treat repetitive seizures in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

During admission to a tertiary hospital, we retrospectively identified patients with repetitive seizures who were treated for the first time with LEV during a hospital stay. LEV was considered effective if seizure cessation or >75% seizure reduction occurred in the 24 h after starting LEV (compared with the previous 48 h), requiring no further antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment.

RESULTS

Thirty patients (12 men, 18 women) were included. Mean age was 59.7 years. Most frequent seizure type was focal motor in 12 (40%) of 30 patients. Most frequent etiology was stroke: nine (30%) of 30 patients. Relevant medical conditions included atrial fibrillation (three) and hepatic disease (three). Concomitant medications included oral anticoagulants (seven), corticosteroids (two), and chemotherapy (two). Four patients received LEV as the only AED. Six patients with focal SE and 20 (66.6%) patients with clusters of seizures but not in SE received LEV as add-on treatment after lack of response to first-line AEDs. Mean LEV dose during first day was 1,119 mg. Mean daily maintenance dose was 1,724 mg. LEV was effective in 24 (80%) patients, all four patients who received it as the only AED, four of six patients with focal SE, and 16 of 20 patients with clusters of seizures. Three (10%) elderly patients with seizures secondary to stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reported moderate/severe somnolence and dizziness, leading to treatment discontinuation in one. On discharge, 20 (66.7%) patients continued on LEV, nine (30%) as the only AED.

CONCLUSIONS

LEV is effective and safe to treat repetitive seizures in hospitalized patients, including patients in focal SE.