Brivaracetam add-on treatment in pediatric patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy: Italian real-world evidence.
Seizure
; 102: 120-124, 2022 Nov.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36223675
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
To report the efficacy and tolerability of brivaracetam (BRV) in add-on therapy in pediatric patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy. Prognostic factors of clinical outcome were also analyzed.METHODS:
This Italian multicenter retrospective observational study was conducted on 45 pediatric patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy, treated with BRV for at least 1 month and with a follow-up >6 months. Demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were assessed at T0 (baseline, BRV introduction) and T1 (6 months after BRV introduction). The response was defined as ≥50% seizure frequency reduction; responders and non-responders were then compared to assess potential prognostic factors.RESULTS:
Forty-five patients (M = 28, mean age 12.4+/-4.4 years) were enrolled (focal epilepsy=14; generalized epilepsy=2; epileptic encephalopathy=29). At T1, 19/45 patients (42.2%) were responders (≥50% seizure frequency reduction), with 4 patients (8.9%) achieving a ≥ 75% seizure reduction and 2 patients (4.4%) becoming seizure free. Epilepsy onset at >12 months of age (p = 0.001), disease duration ≤6 years (p = 0.036), and lower seizure frequency at baseline (p = 0.008) were the prognostic factors significantly associated with a better prognosis. No significant difference emerged for demographics, epilepsy types/etiology, intellectual disability, or therapy variables. At T1, 21 patients (46.6%) discontinued BRV, mainly due to lack of efficacy (13 subjects; 28.9%) and adverse events in 8 patients (17.8%).CONCLUSION:
Brivaracetam was an effective and tolerated treatment in pediatric patients with severe drug-resistant epilepsy, especially when the seizure onset was at >12 months of age, the epilepsy duration ≤6 years, and the seizure frequency before BRV treatment was low. Further and controlled studies are needed.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Contexto em Saúde:
1_ASSA2030
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Epilepsia Generalizada
/
Epilepsia
/
Epilepsia Resistente a Medicamentos
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Seizure
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article