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1: Seizure. 2005 Mar;14(2):117-22.Click here to read Links

A systematic review of treatment of typical absence seizures in children and adolescents with ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine.

Posner EB, Mohamed K, Marson AG.

Sir James Spence Institute of Child Health, The Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP, UK. E.B.Posner@ncl.ac.uk

PURPOSE:To evaluate the role of ethosuximide, sodium valproate and lamotrigine in children and adolescents with typical absence seizures (AS). METHODS: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials that included children or adolescents with typical absence seizures who received treatment with ethosuximide, sodium valproate or lamotrigine. RESULTS: Four RCTs fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies the results could not be pooled in a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We found no reliable evidence to inform clinical practice. The design of further trials should be pragmatic and compare one drug with another.

PMID: 15694565 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Patient Drug Information

  • Valproic Acid (Depakene® , Depakote® , Depakote® ER, ...)

    Valproic acid is used alone or with other medications to treat certain types of seizures. Valproic acid is also used to treat mania (episodes of frenzied, abnormally excited mood) in people with bipolar disorder (manic-d...

  • Lamotrigine (Lamictal® )

    Lamotrigine is used to treat certain types of seizures in patients who have epilepsy or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (a disorder that causes seizures and often causes developmental delays). Lamotrigine is also used to increas...

  • Ethosuximide (Zarontin® )

    Ethosuximide is used to control absence (petit mal) seizures (a type of seizure in which there is a very short loss of awareness during which the person may stare straight ahead or blink his eyes and does not respond to ...

  • Source: AHFS Consumer Medication Information