Clobazam as add-on therapy in children with epileptic encephalopathy.

RATIONALE

Clobazam has been used successfully in adults and children with partial epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of clobazam as add-on therapy in children with epileptic encephalopathy.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study conducted at the pediatric epilepsy clinic of our university hospital. Children less than 18-years of age with epileptic encephalopathy were included in the study. Clobazam was introduced as add-on therapy, starting with 5 mg/Kg/day and increased in minimally effective doses, up to the maximum tolerated dose. Data were obtained from clinical files and follow-up visits.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven patients were included in the study (39 girls), aged between 1 and 17-years-old (mean = 9.9). Twenty-six patients had Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, seven had myoclonic astatic epilepsy, nine had West syndrome and, in 57 patients, the type of epileptic encephalopathy could not be determined. Clobazam dosage ranged from 5 to 60 mg/day (mean = 37.5 mg/day). Forty (41%) patients presented with adverse events, most of which were mild and transitory, and clobazam needed to be withdrawn in only 11 patients. Nine (9.2%) patients were seizure-free after clobazam adjunctive therapy. In 11 (11.3%) patients seizure improvement was >75%, in 16 (16.5%) it was >50%, in 17 (17.5%) improvement was <50% and in 44 (45.5%) there was no change in seizure frequency. Three patients were lost to follow-up. In 85% of the patients with seizure improvement, the results lasted for more than one year.

CONCLUSION

Clobazam is safe and effective in the treatment of epileptic encephalopathies of childhood.