Evaluation of the Levetiracetam treatment on reduction of epileptic discharges in electroencephalogram in children with epilepsy

OBJECTIVES: Epilepsy is a relatively common disease in childhood. In some patients, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is abnormal despite the clinical control of seizures. Studies have identified the adverse effects of epileptic discharges on cognition, learning, behavior, and seizure recurrence in children. This study investigated the Levetiracetam effect on epileptic discharges in the interictal phase of EEG in epileptic children. MATERIALS & METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted on 54 epileptic children aged 2 to 15 years, whose clinical seizures were controlled by sodium valproate in the last six months but still had epileptic discharges in EEG. The participants were divided into two groups: an intervention group (21 people), for which Levetiracetam was added to sodium valproate, and a control group (33 people), for which treatment with sodium valproate alone was continued. The patients were then followed for one year. RESULTS: The percent normalization of epileptic discharges in the intervention and control groups was 66.7% and 57.1% (P = 0.500), respectively. Also, the mean time for the normalization of epileptic discharges in the intervention and control groups was 12.60±8.25 and 20.57±12.67 months (P = 0.042), respectively. CONCLUSION: In children with controlled seizures whose EEG was still abnormal, sodium valproate therapy alone and combined with Levetiracetam effectively reduced the severity of epileptic discharges. However, the addition of Levetiracetam to sodium valproate normalized EEG more rapidly.