The efficacy of the valproic acid-ethosuximide combination in the continuous slow point wave syndrome during sleep

Continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS) is a syndrome with a serious prognosis due to the frequent association with neuropsychological dysfunction. It is mandatory to consider this syndrome if an epileptic child suffers from behavioral changes, dysarthria or learning difficulties. We re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNeurología (Barcelona, Spain) Vol. 12; no. 8; p. 335
Main Authors Ribacoba, R, Salas-Puig, J, Solar, D M, Otero, B, Herranz, J L
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Spain 01.10.1997
Subjects
Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Child
Electroencephalography
Epilepsy, Generalized - diagnosis
Epilepsy, Generalized - drug therapy
Ethosuximide - therapeutic use
Female
Humans
Sleep, REM
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
Valproic Acid - therapeutic use
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Summary:Continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS) is a syndrome with a serious prognosis due to the frequent association with neuropsychological dysfunction. It is mandatory to consider this syndrome if an epileptic child suffers from behavioral changes, dysarthria or learning difficulties. We report on two patients with CSWS syndrome with focal abnormalities on the nondominant hemisphere and a proportion of generalized spike-waves discharges in more than 85% of their NREM sleep on the EEG. Both had a good response to the treatment with sodium valproate and ethosuximide at high doses. Both suffered a relapse of their clinical and EEG semiology after withdrawal of their treatment. After restarting treatment they became clinically normal with a normal sleep EEG recording. We propose the association of sodium valproate and ethosuximide for CSWS; this treatment should be maintained until adolescence.
ISSN:0213-4853