Testing new treatments for paediatric epilepsies

Excerpt

Many forms of epilepsy, and in particular those of adult onset, respond well to treatment. However, poorly treated epilepsy results in stigma, injury, psychiatric and psychological burdens and lifestyle restrictions. In children, the need to attain seizure control is particularly important since a number of uncontrolled early-onset seizure disorders can result in cognitive plateaux or skill loss (regression), commonly termed epileptic encephalopathies. This group of disorders is commonly characterised by multiple seizure types and failure of adequate control with polypharmacy using medications which are often unique to this patient group, vary in combination and order of introduction and may lack the level of evidence which we would now expect in contemporary medical practice. …