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Clobazam for Refractory Childhood Seizure Disorders - A Valuable Supplementary Drug

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Robert Munn ,
Peter Camfield ,
Carol Camfield  and
Joseph Dooley
Robert Munn
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, lzaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Peter Camfield*
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, lzaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Carol Camfield
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, lzaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, Dalhousie University, Halifax
Joseph Dooley
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, lzaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, Dalhousie University, Halifax
*
Hospital for Children, 5850 University Ave., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 3G9
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Abstract:

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Clobazam is a new benzodiazepine recently introduced in Canada on an experimental basis. We report our experience with 27 children (average age 9.1 years) with severe intractable seizure disorders. All had mixed seizures (41% focal plus generalized, 59% mixed generalized) and 93% were mentally retarded. Eighty-five percent had multiple daily seizures and all had been on an average of 6 other anticonvulsants in the past. Forty-one percent of our patients responded to clobazam with a reduction of greater than 75% in seizure frequency and 15% had no further seizures. Tolerance to clobazam which could not be overcome by dose increases developed in 26% of patients. Fortyfour percent of non-responders had exacerbations of their seizures shortly after starting clobazam, however 43% of these patients had reductions in comedications simultaneously. Side effects of clobazam in responders were minimal. We conclude that clobazam shows sufficient promise to warrant further trials in more benign seizure disorders in children.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , November 1988 , pp. 406 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1988

References

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