PMID- 21257324
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20110803
LR  - 20181201
IS  - 1532-2688 (Electronic)
IS  - 1059-1311 (Linking)
VI  - 20
IP  - 4
DP  - 2011 May
TI  - The safety and efficacy of add-on levetiracetam in elderly patients with focal 
      epilepsy: a one-year observational study.
PG  - 305-11
LID - 10.1016/j.seizure.2010.12.015 [doi]
AB  - PURPOSE: The long-term safety and efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) was evaluated 
      as add-on therapy in focal epilepsy patients (n=491) aged at least 65 years who 
      failed at least one monotherapy. METHODS: Patients (n=491) with focal epilepsy 
      treated with at least one antiepileptic drug in monotherapy with insufficient 
      seizure control were included in this prospective open-label study. The 
      recommended LEV dose range was 1000-3000 mg per day. Follow-up visits were done 
      approximately after 3, 6 and 12 months. Safety and efficacy was analysed based on 
      all patients who received LEV (safety population, n=491) and all patients who 
      were seen at all visits and completed the trial (per protocol population, n=364). 
      RESULTS: Patients (53% men, median age 71 years) had a total of 97 adverse events 
      (AEs) reported in 53 patients. The most common AEs were fatigue and restlessness 
      (9.7% each of all AEs). A total of 35 serious AEs occurred in 19 patients (3.9% 
      of the safety population), all but one unrelated to the study medication. Mean 
      monthly seizure frequency dropped significantly from 7.0 (SD 8.7, range 1-85, 
      median 4) at baseline to 1.7 (SD 2.9, range 0-29, median 1) at 3 month, 1.2 (SD 
      2.6, range 0-30, median 0) at 6, and 1.4 (SD 6.6, range 0-99, median 0) at 12 
      months, corresponding to a reduction of 75.7%, 82.9%, and 80.0% relative to 
      baseline. Seizure freedom was reported by 42%, 57.7%, and 58% of patients during 
      the previous period at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: 
      Add-on treatment with LEV in elderly patients with focal epilepsy was safe and 
      efficient. Levetiracetam might be considered as a suitable drug in the elderly.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2011 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All 
      rights reserved.
FAU - Werhahn, Konrad J
AU  - Werhahn KJ
AD  - Department of Neurology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg, 
      University Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany. werhahn@uni-mainz.de
FAU - Klimpe, Sven
AU  - Klimpe S
FAU - Balkaya, Sonja
AU  - Balkaya S
FAU - Trinka, Eugen
AU  - Trinka E
FAU - Kramer, Gunter
AU  - Kramer G
LA  - eng
PT  - Clinical Trial
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20110122
PL  - England
TA  - Seizure
JT  - Seizure
JID - 9306979
RN  - 0 (Anticonvulsants)
RN  - 44YRR34555 (Levetiracetam)
RN  - ZH516LNZ10 (Piracetam)
SB  - IM
MH  - Aged
MH  - Aged, 80 and over
MH  - Anticonvulsants/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*therapeutic use
MH  - Drug Therapy, Combination
MH  - Epilepsies, Partial/*drug therapy
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Levetiracetam
MH  - Male
MH  - Piracetam/administration & dosage/adverse effects/*analogs & 
      derivatives/therapeutic use
EDAT- 2011/01/25 06:00
MHDA- 2011/08/04 06:00
CRDT- 2011/01/25 06:00
PHST- 2010/08/10 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2010/11/05 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2010/12/27 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2011/01/25 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2011/01/25 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2011/08/04 06:00 [medline]
AID - S1059-1311(11)00005-7 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.seizure.2010.12.015 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Seizure. 2011 May;20(4):305-11. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2010.12.015. Epub 2011 Jan 
      22.