First experiences with Lacosamid for treatment of therapy-resistant epilepsy in early childhood

Abstract

Lacosamid is a newly approved anticonvulsant drug for the treatment of focal and secondary generalized seizures in young patients over the age of 16 years. Its major effect is probably to accelerate the slow inactivation of the sodium channels in neurons. Data on young children receiving therapy with Lacosamid are not yet available. We report our first experiences using Lacosamid in young children with therapy-resistant epilepsy. A group of 16 children with the following diagnoses was treated: CSWS, symptomatic focal seizures, LGS, Angelman syndrome, inversion duplication of chromosome 15. Children's age at the onset of treatment with Lacosamid: 8 boys (age: 72–201 months; ˜130 months) and 8 girls (age: 22–152 months; ˜83 months). Nearly all children were experiencing daily seizures before treatment was started.