Conditions: Epilepsy, Partial Epilepsy, Localization Related
Keywords: Pediatrics
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 72
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Seizures that arise in specific areas in the brain are called Localization Related Epilepsy (LRE) and are the most common seizure disorder in children. Children that receive drug treatment for this disorder may suffer from treatment related side effects which impact their ability to think or concentrate and their ability to interact socially. These negative treatment effects can impact the child's performance in school and long term may impact employment and job options.

This study will determine whether changes in attention and social interactions are seen in children treated for LRE using three of the most common medications used to treat pediatric LRE. Children who are newly diagnosed with LRE by their doctors and are between the ages of 5 years 6 months and 16 years 0 months will be randomized to receive levetiracetam, lamotrigine, or oxcarbazepine.

There will be 14 study sites throughout the US. Children will undergo evaluation of their thinking and ability to pay attention before and after starting drug treatment for LRE. Regardless of the specific findings, results of this study will provide the information needed to help parents and their clinicians choose treatment options that maximize cognitive abilities in children with LRE, and provide the data needed for practice guidelines to be established on the basis of cognitive side effect risks.

Detailed description:
This is a prospective multicenter, randomized, open-label, central assessor, parallel-group study of children ages 5 years, 6 months to 16 years, 0 months with newly diagnosed Localization Related Epilepsy (LRE) to establish whether three common antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used as first line LRE treatment (lamotrigine (LTG), levetiracetam (LEV), or oxcarbazepine (OXC)) are associated with differential cognitive side effects on attention. It is predicted that one AED will be identified with greater negative cognitive effects on attention. The study will also examine whether there are differential risks for drug-related behavior change. The study will address whether 6 month attentional outcomes can be reliably predicted based upon shorter term cognitive change assessed soon after beginning AED therapy, and establish practice effects associated with repeated test exposure when on constant doses of AED.

Children will undergo cognitive testing after study enrollment and no more than a week after AED initiation. Selected measures will be repeated at the first follow up clinic visit after beginning AED treatment, and the primary endpoint will be the attention performance obtained at the subjects' 6 month follow-up clinic visit.

Arms:
arm 1: Lamotrigine 7.0 mg/kg tablets or chewable tablets administered daily in 2 equally divided doses arm 2: Oxcarbazepine 25 mg/kg tablets or liquid administered daily in 2 equally divided doses arm 3: Levetiracetam 30 mg/kg tablet or liquid administered daily in 2 equally divided doses

Interventions: intervention 1: Oxcarbazepine intervention 2: Levetiracetam intervention 3: Lamotrigine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Titration to target dose starting at week 3. Dose increments above target may be made to a maximum of 3 increments with a minimum interval between dose escalations of 2 weeks. intervention 2: Titration to target dose starting at week 3. Dose increments above target may be made to a maximum of 3 increments with a minimum interval between dose escalations of 2 weeks. intervention 3: Titration to target dose starting at week 11. Dose increments above target may be made to a maximum of 3 increments with a minimum interval between dose escalations of 2 weeks.

Protocol document: