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Objective Approximately one third of epileptic children are resistant to anticonvulsant drugs. This study evaluates the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of pregabalin as adjunctive therapy in epileptic children relative to Zonisamide. Materials & Methods From April 2012 to November 2012,121 children were referred to Mofid Children’s Hospital with intractable epilepsy and enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups (A and B) randomly. Group A was treated with Zonisamide and group B was treated with Pregabalin in addition to prior medication. We assessed seizure frequency and severity during a 4-week interval from the beginning of the drug treatment and compared the efficacy of each in these two groups. Results Group A consists of 61 patients, 26 (42.6%) girls, and35 (57.4%) boys with an age range from 1.5 months–14 years (mean, 73.9± 44.04 months). Group B consists of 60 patients, 31(51.7%) girls, 29 (48.3%) boys with an age range from 6 months–16 years (mean, 71±42.9 months). Age, gender, seizure onset, seizure frequency, seizure type, and previous antiepileptic medications showed that there was no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). Zonisamide and pregabalin reduced more than 50% of seizure intensity in 40.2%; 45.8% of patients also had a seizure frequency decline between35.8–44.4%, respectively and there was no significant superiority between these two novel anticonvulsants (P>0.05). Conclusion In this survey both pregabalin and Zonisamide were impressive for seizure control in children with intractable epilepsy and well sustained with mild complications that were completely reversible.

Objective Approximately one-third of all children with epilepsy do not achieve complete seizure improvement. This study evaluated the efficacy of Vigabatrin in children with intractable epilepsy. Methods From November 2011 to October 2012, 73 children with refractory epilepsy (failure of seizure control with the use of two or more anticonvulsant drugs) who were referred to the Children’s Medical Center and Mofid Children’s Hospital were included in the study. The patients were treated with Vigabatrin in addition to their previous medication, and followed-up after three to four weeks to determine the daily frequency, severity, and duration of seizures in addition to any reported side effects. Findings Of the 67 children, 41 (61.2%) were males and 26 (38.8%) females, their age ranging from three months to 13 years with an average of 3.1 [standard deviation (SD), 2.6] years. The mean daily frequency of seizures at baseline was 6.61 (SD, 5.9) seizures per day. Vigabatrin reduced the seizure frequency ≤2.9 (SD, 5.2) (56% decline) and 3.0 (SD, 5.3) (54.5% decline) per day after three and six months of treatment, respectively. A significant difference was observed between seizure frequencies at three (P

Objective Approximately one third of epileptic children do not achieve complete seizure improvement. Zonisamide is a new antiepileptic drug which is effective as adjunctive therapy in treatment of intractable partial seizures. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of Zonisamide in epileptic children. Materials & Methods From November 2011 until October 2012, 68 children who referred to Children’s Medical Center and Mofid Children Hospital due to refractory epilepsy (failure of seizure control with the use of two or more anticonvulsant drugs) entered the study. The patients were treated with Zonisamide by dose of 2- 12 mg/kg daily in addition to the previous medication. We followed the children every three to four-weeks intervals based on daily frequency, severity and duration of seizures. During the follow-up equal and more than fifty percent reduction in seizure frequency or severity known as response to the drug. Results In this study 68 patients were examined that 61 children reached the last stage.35 (57.4%) were male and 26 (42.6%) patients were female. After first and six months of Zonisamide administration daily seizure frequency decreased to 2.95±3.54 and 3.73±3.5 respectively. There was significant difference between seizure frequency in first and six month after Zonisamide toward initial attacks. After six months ZNS therapy a little side effects were created in 10 patients (16.4%) including stuttering(4.9%), decreased appetite (4.9%), hallucination (1.6%), dizziness(1.6%), blurred vision(1.6%) and suspiring(1.6%) as all of them eliminated later dosage reduction. Conclusion This study confirms the short term efficacy and safety of Zonisamide in children with refractory epilepsies.