@article {3613, title = {Long-term follow-up in children with benign convulsions associated with gastroenteritis.}, journal = {Eur J Paediatr Neurol}, volume = {18}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Sep}, pages = {572-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The outcome of benign convulsions associated with gastroenteritis (CwG) has generally been reported as being excellent. However, these data need to be confirmed in studies with longer follow-up evaluations.

AIM: To assess the long-term neurological outcome of a large sample of children presenting with CwG.

METHODS: We reviewed clinical features of 81 subjects presenting with CwG (1994-2010) from three different Italian centers with a follow-up period of at least 3 years.

RESULTS: Follow-up period ranged from 39 months to 15 years (mean 9.8 years). Neurological examination and cognitive level at the last evaluation were normal in all the patients. A mild attention deficit was detected in three cases (3.7\%). Fourteen children (17.3\%) received chronic anti-epileptic therapy. Interictal EEG abnormalities detected at onset in 20 patients (24.7\%) reverted to normal. Transient EEG epileptiform abnormalities were detected in other three cases (3.7\%), and a transient photosensitivity in one (1.2\%). No recurrence of CwG was observed. Three patients (3.7\%) presented with a febrile seizure and two (2.5\%) with an unprovoked seizure, but none developed epilepsy.

CONCLUSIONS: The long-term evaluation of children with CwG confirms the excellent prognosis of this condition, with normal psychomotor development and low risk of relapse and of subsequent epilepsy.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Anticonvulsants, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Child, Preschool, Electroencephalography, Epilepsy, Female, Gastroenteritis, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Neurologic Examination, Retrospective Studies}, issn = {1532-2130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejpn.2014.04.006}, author = {Verrotti, Alberto and Moavero, Romina and Vigevano, Federico and Cantonetti, Laura and Guerra, Azzurra and Spezia, Elisabetta and Tricarico, Antonella and Nanni, Giuliana and Agostinelli, Sergio and Chiarelli, Francesco and Parisi, Pasquale and Capovilla, Giuseppe and Beccaria, Francesca and Spalice, Alberto and Coppola, Giangennaro and Franzoni, Emilio and Gentile, Valentina and Casellato, Susanna and Veggiotti, Pierangelo and Malgesini, Sara and Crichiutti, Giovanni and Balestri, Paolo and Grosso, Salvatore and Zamponi, Nelia and Incorpora, Gemma and Savasta, Salvatore and Costa, Paola and Pruna, Dario and Cusmai, Raffaella} } @article {1609, title = {A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of levetiracetam in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed absence epilepsy.}, journal = {Epilepsia}, volume = {52}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Apr}, pages = {802-9}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential efficacy of levetiracetam as an antiabsence agent in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed childhood or juvenile absence epilepsy.

METHODS: Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive de novo monotherapy with levetiracetam (up to 30 mg/kg/day) or placebo for 2 weeks under double-blind conditions. Responder status (primary end point) was defined as freedom from clinical seizures on days 13 and 14 and from electroencephalographic (EEG) seizures during a standard EEG recording with hyperventilation and intermittent photic stimulation on day 14. The double-blind phase was followed by an open-label follow-up.

KEY FINDINGS: Nine of 38 patients (23.7\%) were responders in the levetiracetam group, compared with one of 21 (4.8\%) in the placebo group (p = 0.08). Seven of 38 patients (18.4\%) were free from clinical and EEG seizures during the last 4 days of the trial (including 24-h EEG monitoring on day 14) compared with none of the patients treated with placebo (p = 0.04). Seventeen patients remained seizure-free on levetiracetam after 1 year follow-up. Of the 41 patients who discontinued levetiracetam due to lack of efficacy (n = 39) or adverse events (n = 2), 34 became seizure-free on other treatments.

SIGNIFICANCE: Although superiority to placebo just failed to reach statistical significance for the primary end point, the overall findings are consistent with levetiracetam having modest efficacy against absence seizures. Further controlled trials exploring larger doses and an active comparator are required to determine the role of levetiracetam in the treatment of absence epilepsy.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Age Factors, Anticonvulsants, Child, Child, Preschool, Double-Blind Method, Drug Resistance, Epilepsy, Absence, Female, Humans, Male, Outcome Assessment (Health Care), Piracetam}, issn = {1528-1167}, doi = {10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02976.x}, author = {Fattore, Cinzia and Boniver, Clementina and Capovilla, Giuseppe and Cerminara, Caterina and Citterio, Antonietta and Coppola, Giangennaro and Costa, Paola and Darra, Francesca and Vecchi, Marilena and Perucca, Emilio} }