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The Underrecognized Epilepsy Spectrum: The Effects of Levetiracetam on Neuropsychological Functioning in Relation to Subclinical Spike Production

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey, MMintz{at}thecnnh.org

Daniel LeGoff, PhD

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey

Jean Scornaienchi, PNP, BC, MS

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey

Micah Brown

Electrical Geodesics, Inc, Eugene, Oregon, Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey

Sarah Levin-Allen, MS

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey, Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pnina Mintz, PhD

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey

Cathy Smith

Clinical Research Center of New Jersey and The Center for Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Health, Voorhees, New Jersey

The purpose of this prospective, open-label pilot study was to determine whether treatment with levetiracetam improves neuropsychological functioning in children and adolescents who have evidence of subclinical spike production associated with attention and learning difficulties. Six participants (mean age 9.8 years) were treated with levetiracetam up to 40 mg/kg per day and evaluated using neuropsychological (Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, Second Edition), academic (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Second Edition, Abbreviated), and electroencephalographic assessments at baseline and after 10 weeks of treatment. Statistically significant improvements on indexes of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, Second Edition were observed in 4 participants after 10 weeks. No statistically significant differences were observed for the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Second Edition, Abbreviated. Concomitant spike suppression was observed. Levetiracetam was generally well tolerated. A subset of patients exists with attention and learning problems that have associated aberrant cortical electrical activity without clinical seizures and associated neuropsychological deficits that may improve after treatment with levetiracetam.

Key Words: ADHD • antiepileptic drug • attention • benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes • electroencephalography • levetiracetam • memory • neuropsychological function • rolandic • seizures

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 24, No. 7, 807-815 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0883073808330762


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