| Abstract | BACKGROUND: The Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy that usually begins in early childhood, is difficult to treat. Dose-related drug toxicity is common. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the antiepileptic drug lamotrigine in patients with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Eligible patients had more than one type of predominantly generalized seizure, including tonic-clonic, atonic, tonic, and major myoclonic, and had seizures on average at least every other day. After a 4-week base-line period in which all participants received placebo, we randomly assigned 169 patients (age range, 3 to 25 years) to 16 weeks of lamotrigine (n= 79) or placebo (n=90) in addition to their other antiepileptic drugs. RESULTS: The median frequency of all major seizures changed from base-line levels of 16.4 and 13.5 per week in the lamotrigine and placebo groups, respectively, to 9.9 and 14.2 per week after 16 weeks of treatment (P=0.002). Thirty-three percent of the patients in the lamotrigine group and 16 percent of those in the placebo group had a reduction of at least 50 percent in the frequency of seizures (P= 0.01). There were no significant differences between groups in the incidence of adverse events, except for colds or viral illnesses, which was more common in the lamotrigine group (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Lamotrigine was an effective and well-tolerated treatment for seizures associated with the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. |
| Authors | J Motte, E Trevathan, J F Arvidsson, M N Barrera, E L Mullens, P Manasco
(Affiliation: American Memorial Hospital, Hôpital d'Enfants, Reims, France.)
|
| Journal | The New England journal of medicine
(N Engl J Med)
Vol. 337
Issue 25
Pg. 1807-12
(Dec 18 1997)
ISSN: 0028-4793 UNITED STATES |
| PMID | 9400037
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
|
| Chemical References |
- Anticonvulsants
- Triazines
- lamotrigine
|
| Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Anticonvulsants
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Double-Blind Method
- Epilepsy
(drug therapy)
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Mental Retardation
- Seizures
(drug therapy)
- Syndrome
- Treatment Outcome
- Triazines
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
|
