Biomaterial Database

Treatment of generalized epilepsies of childhood and adolescence with sodium valproate ("epilim"). 1977

P M Jeavons, and J E Clark, and M C Maheshwari

A total of 142 patients (84 per cent aged less than 20 years) with various forms of generalized epilepsy have been treated with sodium valproate alone or in combination with other drugs. The mean duration of symptoms was six years, and half the patients had daily seizures. Nine patients had typical absences, 33 had absences with automatisms, 28 had tonic-clonic seizures with or without photosensitivity, and 72 had various forms of myoclonic epilepsy. Dosage varied from 23 to 54mg/kg and twice-daily administration was usual. Estimation of serum levels did not assist in management. Fits ceased in 63 per cent of all cases and a further 18 per cent showed improvement greater than 50 per cent. Of the 69 with 3c/sec spike-and-wave discharges, 81 per cent became free from all fits, as did 77 percent of those with myoclonic jerks. Fits ceased in eight of the 32 patients with myoclonic astatic epilepsy and there was improvement greater than 50 per cent in a further eight patients. Other anticonvulsants were often withdrawn and always reduced. 21 patients received sodium valproate alone from the start of treatment and all other drugs were withdrawn in another 38. Sodium valproate alone controlled all fits in four children with absences, in 18 with absences with automatisms, 10 with tonic-clonic seizures and 22 with myoclonic epilepsy. Side-effects were rare, mild and often temporary. Potentiation of barbiturates and benzodiazepines occurred, especially clonazepam, which should be avoided. Many patients were more alert. Sodium valproate appears to be the drug of choice for epilepsies associated with generalized spike-and-wave discharges, myoclonic epilepsies or photosensitive epilepsies, and is of especial value in children and mentally retarded patients because it lacks sedating effects and often induces liveliness.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008027	Light	That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared range.	Light, Visible,Photoradiation,Radiation, Visible,Visible Radiation,Photoradiations,Radiations, Visible,Visible Light,Visible Radiations
D008297	Male		Males
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D004341	Drug Evaluation	Any process by which toxicity, metabolism, absorption, elimination, preferred route of administration, safe dosage range, etc., for a drug or group of drugs is determined through clinical assessment in humans or veterinary animals.	Evaluation Studies, Drug,Drug Evaluation Studies,Drug Evaluation Study,Drug Evaluations,Evaluation Study, Drug,Evaluation, Drug,Evaluations, Drug,Studies, Drug Evaluation,Study, Drug Evaluation
D004569	Electroencephalography	Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain.	EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D004827	Epilepsy	A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)	Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D004831	Epilepsies, Myoclonic	A clinically diverse group of epilepsy syndromes characterized either by myoclonic seizures or by myoclonus in association with other seizure types. Myoclonic epilepsy syndromes are divided into three subtypes based on etiology: familial, cryptogenic, and symptomatic.	Idiopathic Myoclonic Epilepsy,Myoclonic Absence Epilepsy,Myoclonic Encephalopathy,Myoclonic Epilepsy,Symptomatic Myoclonic Epilepsy,Benign Infantile Myoclonic Epilepsy,Cryptogenic Myoclonic Epilepsy,Doose Syndrome,Dravet Syndrome,Early Childhood Epilepsy, Myoclonic,Early Childhood, Myoclonic Epilepsy,Encephalopathy, Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Early Childhood, Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Myoclonic, Early Childhood,Epilepsy, Myoclonic, Infantile,Epilepsy, Myoclonic, Infantile, Benign,Epilepsy, Myoclonic, Infantile, Severe,Epilepsy, Myoclonus,Infantile Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy,Myoclonic Astatic Epilepsy,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Benign Infantile,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Early Childhood,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Infantile,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Infantile, Benign,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Infantile, Severe,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Severe Infantile,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Severe, Of Infancy,Myoclonic Seizure Disorder,Severe Infantile Myoclonic Epilepsy,Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy Of Infancy,Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy, Infantile,Astatic Epilepsies, Myoclonic,Astatic Epilepsy, Myoclonic,Cryptogenic Myoclonic Epilepsies,Dravet Syndromes,Encephalopathies, Myoclonic,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic Myoclonic,Epilepsies, Idiopathic Myoclonic,Epilepsies, Infantile Myoclonic,Epilepsies, Myoclonic Absence,Epilepsies, Myoclonic Astatic,Epilepsies, Symptomatic Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Idiopathic Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Infantile Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Myoclonic,Epilepsy, Myoclonic Absence,Epilepsy, Myoclonic Astatic,Epilepsy, Symptomatic Myoclonic,Idiopathic Myoclonic Epilepsies,Infantile Myoclonic Epilepsies,Infantile Myoclonic Epilepsy,Myoclonic Absence Epilepsies,Myoclonic Astatic Epilepsies,Myoclonic Encephalopathies,Myoclonic Epilepsies,Myoclonic Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Myoclonic Epilepsies, Idiopathic,Myoclonic Epilepsies, Infantile,Myoclonic Epilepsies, Symptomatic,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Idiopathic,Myoclonic Epilepsy, Symptomatic,Myoclonic Seizure Disorders,Myoclonus Epilepsies,Myoclonus Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder, Myoclonic,Seizure Disorders, Myoclonic,Symptomatic Myoclonic Epilepsies
D004832	Epilepsy, Absence	A seizure disorder usually occurring in childhood characterized by rhythmic electrical brain discharges of generalized onset. Clinical features include a sudden cessation of ongoing activity usually without loss of postural tone. Rhythmic blinking of the eyelids or lip smacking frequently accompanies the SEIZURES. The usual duration is 5-10 seconds, and multiple episodes may occur daily. Juvenile absence epilepsy is characterized by the juvenile onset of absence seizures and an increased incidence of myoclonus and tonic-clonic seizures. (Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, p736)	Akinetic Petit Mal,Epilepsy, Minor,Petit Mal Epilepsy,Pyknolepsy,Absence Seizure Disorder,Childhood Absence Epilepsy,Epilepsy Juvenile Absence,Epilepsy, Absence, Atypical,Epilepsy, Petit Mal,Juvenile Absence Epilepsy,Pykno-Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder, Absence,Absence Epilepsy,Absence Epilepsy, Childhood,Absence Epilepsy, Juvenile,Absence Seizure Disorders,Epilepsy, Childhood Absence,Epilepsy, Juvenile Absence,Minor Epilepsy,Petit Mal, Akinetic,Pykno Epilepsy,Pyknolepsies,Seizure Disorders, Absence
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man