Abstracts

RATIONALE: New generation anti-epileptic agents represent a significant progress in the management of drug-resistant epilepsy, although their effectiveness is comparable to the efficacy of classic drugs. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of the first new generation drug add-on therapy in managing patients with drug-resistant therapy.
METHODS: The analysis included 339 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy with partial seizures in whom previous management with one or two classic agents was extended to include the following new generation drugs: vigabatrin (VGB, n=80), lamotrigine (LTG, n=88), topiramate (TPM, n=55), tiagabine (TGB, n=56) or gabapentin (GBP, n=64). The follow-up was 12 months. The effectiveness of particular drugs was measured by the percentage of seizure-free patients, number of responders ([gt]50% seizure reduction rate) and the possibility of switching to a new generation drug administered in monotherapy. The safety was determined as the percentage of patients excluded from follow-up due to unacceptable adverse effects.
RESULTS: The results are presented as the percentage of seizure-free patients, the percentage of responders, the percentage of monotherapy and the percentage of patients excluded from the trial.[table]
CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1/4-1/3 of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy may be seizure-free following the addition of a new generation drug and 12-month follow-up. More than 50% of patients achieve at least 50% reduction in the number of seizures. In approximately 40% of patients a new generation drug monotherapy may be introduced. Several to less than 20% of patients are excluded from the trial due to unacceptable adverse effects.