A Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Levetiracetam and Carbamazepine in the Treatment of Rolandic Seizures in Children: An Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: This study was performed to investigate whether levetiracetam should be preferred to carbamazepine as a treatment choice for benign childhood epilepsy with centro Temporal spikes (BCECTS), the most common partial epilepsy of childhood.

Methods: This randomized clinical trial study included 92 children with rolandic epilepsy aged 4-12 years referred to the Pediatric Neurology Clinic at Imam Hossein Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, from April 2019 to January 2020. Patients were selected consecutively and randomly assigned to two study groups (levetiracetam and carbamazepine groups). Patients were followed and revisited every 2 months for 6 months after starting the medication. The frequency and duration of seizure attacks and drug side effects were recorded before treatment and in bi-monthly visits. Data were analyzed by SPSS software Version 24 using Mann-Whitney U- test and Friedman test.

Findings: In our study, the seizure frequency decrease was not significantly different between the two groups; however, patients in both groups showed significantly lower seizure frequency in 2, 4, and 6 months of follow-up compared to starting time. After a follow-up for 6 months, one out of 47 (2.1%) patients using levetiracetam showed intolerance, resulting in changing the medication. In addition, two out of 48 (4.1%) patients in the carbamazepine group had skin rashes. No significant changes had been reported regarding the duration of seizure attacks in both groups after treatment.

Conclusion: This study showed encouraging results for using levetiracetam, with acceptable results and fewer side effects for the treatment of children with BCECTS in Iran.

Keywords: Efficacy; epilepsy; pediatrics; rolandic seizure.

Figure 1

Changes in the frequency of seizures before and 2, 4, and 6 months after treatment. There is no significant difference between changes in seizure frequency between groups (P for trend = 0.8897). Data were shown as mean with standard error in each time point.

Figure 2

Changes in the average dose and associated frequency in two groups before and 2, 4, and 6 months after treatment. Data were shown as mean with standard error in each time point.