[Efficacy and safety of topiramate depending on patient's age and forms of epilepsy].

Seven hundreds and twenty-two epileptic patients receiving topiramate (374 males, 348 females), aged from 3 month to 57 years, were followed with video-EEG control during the period of 2002-2012. Topiramate was effective in 465 (64.4%) patients, and among them the efficacy of monotherapy (72.2%) was higher compared to combined therapy (61.9%). The low efficacy was seen in 198 (27.4%) patients. The aggravation effect was noted in 59 (8.2%) of patients. Drug compliance (for >1 year) was 60.7%. In the group <1 year, the high efficacy was observed in 55.2%, low efficacy - in 34.5%, aggravation - in 10.3%. In the group 1-3 years, these indicators were 54.8%, 31.8% and 13.4%, respectively. In the pediatric population (>3 years), they were 67.3%, 26.2% and 6.5% as well as in the adult population (>18 years) - 82.1%, 16.6% and 1.3%, respectively. Thus, topiramate is a highly effective medication in the therapy of idiopathic generalized epilepsies without absences and in symptomatic/cryptogenic focal forms of epilepsy. The efficacy of topiramate raised with increasing of age while the aggravation risk decreased significantly.

[Side-effects of antiepileptic treatment: the current state of the problem].

The current treatment of epilepsy is directed not only at the control of seizures and comorbid states but at the improvement of quality of life and destigmatization that is the key strategic direction. The basis of treatment of epilepsy is a long-term regular taking of antiepileptic drugs (AED). However, it has been shown that quality of life of patients depends not only on clinical presentations of the disease, including seizures and higher mental functions, but on the tolerability of AED. The safety of these drugs becomes the most important component of the treatment even compared to the control of seizures. Therefore, tolerability and compliance (a patient's adherence to a recommended course of treatment, common understanding between a doctor and a patient as well as his/her relatives) receive special attention. The timed detection and correction of side-effects is an integral component of treatment of epilepsy. In some cases, the presence of rare seizures with minimal clinical presentations and even more frequent seizures that are not danger for a patient seems to be more appropriate than the increase in the number and doses of AED reducing quality of life. The balance between therapeutic and toxic effects of AED is a key issue of treatment of epilepsy.

[Modern principles of epilepsy therapy].

Long regular use of antiepileptic drugs (AED) aimed at reducing frequency of seizures or stopping them completely without any significant side-effects is a main principle of epilepsy treatment. The main attention is drawn to the issues of tolerability of antiepileptic therapy and compliancy, mutual understanding between a physician and a patient as well as relatives and other significant persons. The timely detection and correction of side-effects is integral part of epilepsy treatment. Currently, the attention is focused on quality of life of patients with epilepsy including physical and mental health, education, social and psychological functioning. In some cases, the occurrence of rare seizures with minimal clinical presentation or even more frequent seizures which are not dangerous to a patient is less harmful than decreasing of quality of life due to the effect of larger AED number or dose. The balance between AED therapeutic and toxic effects is a main question in epilepsy therapy. Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy requires deep knowledge of AED: spectrum of therapeutic efficacy and extent of drug effect; safety, tolerability and side-effects, in particular severe and life-threatening ones, specifics of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, between-drug interactions and mechanisms of action; titration rate, necessity in laboratory tests during treatment, peculiarities of application of pharmacoeconomics. The present review addresses modern aspects of epilepsy therapy.