Correlation between efficacy of levetiracetam and serum levels among children with refractory epilepsy

Pediatric Neurology
Revital SheinbergMatitiahu Berkovitch

Abstract

Levetiracetam is used as adjunctive therapy in various types of seizures. Studies evaluating the effect of levetiracetam on children with refractory epilepsy are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between serum concentration of levetiracetam and either efficacy or tolerability in children with refractory epilepsy, and to determine the value of levetiracetam blood level monitoring. Medical records of 50 children with refractory epilepsy treated with levetiracetam and regularly followed at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Trough serum levetiracetam concentration was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and correlated with the administered dose and clinical report. No correlation between levetiracetam serum levels and clinical efficacy, tolerability or administered dosage was found. The average dose of levetiracetam was 43.7 ± 20.0 (range 14-100) mg/kg/day and the average serum concentration was 16.0 ± 9.5 (range 2.5-38.5) μg/mL. Forty-five patients (95%) had more than a 50% reduction of seizure frequency, with 22 (44%) patients becoming seizure-free for at least 6 months. Adverse events related to levetiracetam were reported in 15 (30%) patients. No correlat...Continue Reading

References

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Feb 27, 2009·Epilepsia·Jesus Eric Piña-GarzaUNKNOWN Levetiracetam N01009 Study Group
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Nov 20, 2012·European Journal of Paediatric Neurology : EJPN : Official Journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society·Hadassa Goldberg-SternAviva Phatal-Valevski

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Citations

Feb 15, 2016·Seizure : the Journal of the British Epilepsy Association·Hasan TekgülNihal Olgaç Dündar
Oct 22, 2016·Drugs in R&D·Shery Jacob, Anroop B Nair
Mar 30, 2017·Clinical Pharmacokinetics·Jason TanMary H H Ensom
Jun 12, 2021·Journal of Tropical Pediatrics·Veshni Pillay-Fuentes LorenteEric H Decloedt

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