Rapid loading of intravenous lacosamide: Efficacy and practicability during presurgical video‐EEG monitoring

Abstract

This study investigates immediate efficacy and safety of intravenous application of de novo lacosamide (LCM) as add-on therapy in patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy. During presurgical video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring, 17 adult inpatients received LCM infusion (200 mg every 12 h for 2-3 days) followed by oral formulation with the same regimen. Before and after intravenous application of LCM, seizures and interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) recorded with continuous video-EEG monitoring were analyzed, and an assessment of adverse events (AEs) was performed daily. To evaluate the midterm tolerability and efficacy, follow-up visits were conducted 1 and 3 months after discharge from hospital. In the acute phase, intravenous initiation of LCM was well tolerated with few mild or moderate AEs (3 of 17, 17.6%). A significant reduction of seizure frequency in the treatment phase as compared to mean seizure frequency in the 2-day baseline phase was achieved (p < 0.05 for the first treatment day, and p < 0.005 for the second treatment day). On the first treatment day, 61.5% of the patients were seizure free, and 84.6% on the second treatment day. IED reduction after intravenous application of LCM was not significant. After 1 month, the 50% responder rate was 46.6% and after the 3-month period, 42.8%. Our data suggest that rapid intravenous initiation of de novo LCM is safe and may protect against seizures in a rapid and midterm time window.