Clinical Research Directory

Effect of Adding Lamotrigine to Sodium Valproate in Childhood Epilepsy: Clinicolabratory Study

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic brain disorders of childhood. The causes of epilepsy include :acquired brain damage, altered metabolic states, inborn brain malformations, and genetic causes. At present, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the first line therapy for resistant epilepsy (RE) , and the second line is surgery , and vagus nerve stimulation . Sodium valproate (SV) is a first line anti epileptic drug that can be applied to various seizure types in children . SV has anticonvulsant activity through regulation of neuronal pathways . It has a molecular structure similar to neurotransmitter γ aminobutyric acid (GABA) resulting in GABA synergism , A serious adverse effect of the valproic acid (VPA) : is its effect on liver function with resultant drug-induced hepatotoxicity, hyperammonemia . Lamotrigine (LTG) is a second generation AED . LTG belongs to the sodium channel blocking class of antiseizure medications (ASMs). Lamortigine side effects include severe rash, fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatic dysfunction, blood disorder,and disseminated intravascular coagulation and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) . the aim : Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of adding lamotrigine to sodium valproate in epileptic children not responding to SV alone for 6 months. Moreover, the investigators will evaluate the effects of this addition ,appearance of side effects,laboratory evaluation and EEG changes 50 epileptic patients receive SV for 6 months without complete remission for participants, the investigators will add lamotrigine for 6 months.