Seizure Control in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is Linked to Seizure Type

April 29, 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in western China.

Method: The team continuously reviewed 105 outpatients with JME who were diagnosed and treated at the Epilepsy Registration Center of West China Hospital between October 2012 and July 2014. Seizure control stratified into different seizure types and by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was prospectively evaluated every 3-6 months.

Results: Among 105 patients with JME, 85 patients (81%) received monotherapy including valproate (VPA, 47%) and levetiracetam (LEV, 43%) treatment. The rates of seizure freedom 1, 3, and 5 years after the initiation of AED treatment were 64.8% (68/105), 29.5% (31/105), and 14.6% (12/82) in JME patients, respectively. Patients with myoclonic seizure (MS) and absence seizure (AS) were less frequently seizure free than those with MS and generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) (P = 0.012). Patients on VPA monotherapy had better control of GTCS than patients on LEV monotherapy (P = 0.036). There is a trend of lower rates of seizure freedom in patients treated with LEV than in those treated with VPA after the first-year treatment period.

Significance: The data suggests that in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), seizure control is linked to seizure type, possibly allowing a more individualized approach when counselling JME patients.