René Andrade Machado
National Neurology and Neurosurgery Institute,
La Habana
Cuba
Research Article
Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Nimodipine as Add-On Therapy in the Treatment of Focal Refractory Epilepsy Patients: A Pilot Study
Author(s): René Andrade Machado, Edgar Bladimir Romero, Adriana María Goicoechea Astencio, Aisel Santos Santos, Vanessa Benjumea Cuartas and Marlene Maya LópezRené Andrade Machado, Edgar Bladimir Romero, Adriana María Goicoechea Astencio, Aisel Santos Santos, Vanessa Benjumea Cuartas and Marlene Maya López
Purpose: To prove whether the use of nimodipine as add-on therapy in focal refractory epilepsy patients could improve seizure control and quality of life.
Methods: This is a randomized, unblinded, controlled trial of nimodipine as add-on therapy in adult patients
with focal refractory epilepsy. The trial consisted of baseline, maintenance and taper periods. Twenty-two patients with focal refractory epilepsy, which seizure frequency was greater than 5 per month, were randomized to one of the following dosage treatment regimens of nimodipine administered orally in four subdoses and according to body
weight: arm A, 2 mg/kg/day; arm B, 3 mg/kg/day. The primary efficacy assessment, based on change in seizure frequency, was evaluated in two ways: the 50% responder rate and seizure freedom from baseline to maintenance periods; quality of life improvement was also taken i.. View More»
