Open comparative long-term study of vigabatrin vs carbamazepine in newly diagnosed partial seizures in children.

Abstract

AMONG THE various new antiepileptic drugs, vigabatrin is widely used for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in both adults and children. The accumulating data on vigabatrin affirm the therapeutic value of the drug, with positive results (disappearance or reduction of seizures in >50% of patients) occurring in approximately 30% to 40% of patients. The varying values that have been reported may, to some degree, reflect the different methods of patient recruitment and the varying definitions of drug resistance that have been used in the studies.^1-3 Furthermore, vigabatrin is well tolerated, with only rare reports of serious adverse effects.⁴