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. 1989;27(Suppl 1):79S–85S. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1989.tb03466.x

The effect of different vigabatrin treatment regimens on CSF biochemistry and seizure control in epileptic patients

E Ben-Menachem, L I Persson, P J Schechter, K D Haegele, N Huebert, J Hardenberg, L Dahlgren, J P Mumford
PMCID: PMC1379684  PMID: 2474312

Abstract

1 Vigabatrin, 50 mg kg-1, was administered orally as add-on therapy to 11 patients with drug-resistant complex partial epilepsy as a single dose, then once every third day for 2 months, every other day for 2 months and daily for 1 month.

2 Lumbar punctures were carried out prior to treatment and at the end of each dosage regimen and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evaluated for concentrations of free and total GABA, homocarnosine (GABA-histidine dipeptide), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) and vigabatrin.

3 Each regimen resulted in significant increases in CSF concentrations of free and total GABA and homocarnosine compared with the immediately preceding regimen.

4 CSF concentrations of HVA significantly increased after a single vigabatrin dose but returned to pre-treatment levels with subsequent dosing schedules. In contrast, 5-HIAA concentrations also increased with the single dose but were significantly decreased, compared with pre-treatment values, following alternate day and daily vigabatrin administration.

5 Seizure frequency progressively decreased with decreasing dosing interval. Daily vigabatrin administration was associated with > 50% decrease in seizures in 8 of the 10 patients treated.

Keywords: vigabatrin, cerebrospinal fluid, GABA, homocarnosine, homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid, epilepsy

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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