Management of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome with rufinamide

Abstract

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a pediatric epileptic encephalopathy, which is characterized by uncontrolled seizures, diffuse slow spike and wave discharges on encephalogram, and cognitive impairment. This is a severe form of childhood epilepsy, pharmacoresistant in most cases, with a peak incidence between the ages of 3 and 5 years. Mental retardation is common attributed to increased frequency of seizures. Rufinamide approval by Food and Drug Administration gave new hope to patients and their caregivers. Rufinamide is a third generation anticonvulsant, which is structurally different from other anticonvulsants. Clinical trials of rufinamide have shown a decreased frequency of seizures including atonic seizures and drop attacks in patients with LGS. In this current paper, we discuss the role of rufinamide as a new option in the management of this childhood epileptic encephalopathy.

Keywords

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome - epileptic encephalopathy - rufinamide - anticonvulsants