The efficacy of levetiracetam for patients with supratentorial brain tumors

Abstract

We conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the current data on the overall efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV), a new generation antiepileptic drug, in patients with brain tumors. The efficacy of LEV in patients diagnosed with brain tumors has been evaluated in several studies, however, with inconsistent results. Bibliographic searches of the EMBASE, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Central Register of the Controlled Trials databases were performed to identify articles and conference abstracts that investigated the efficacy of LEV in the treatment of brain tumor patients. Fourteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Among the 14 included studies, two were randomized controlled trials. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that the complete response rate of LEV was 94% during the postoperative period and 84% during the long-term follow-up period. Our results suggest that LEV is a relatively effective drug for the treatment of brain tumor patients and its efficacy is slightly lower during the long-term follow-up period than during the postoperative period. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted.

Keywords: Efficacy; Levetiracetam; Meta-analysis; Supratentorial brain tumors.