Alternative approaches to conventional antiepileptic drugs in the management of paediatric epilepsy

Treatment of difficult epilepsy

“…Other pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments that are used in the treatment of the difficult or intractable epilepsies include the use of corticosteroids,17 “alternative” or complementary treatments,18 and rarely, intravenous immunoglobulins and bromides; their mechanism of action is uncertain. The use of corticosteroids in treating children with West syndrome,17 19 Landau–Kleffner syndrome and electrical status epilepticus of slow-wave sleep18 is well recognised.…”

“…The use of corticosteroids in treating children with West syndrome,17 19 Landau–Kleffner syndrome and electrical status epilepticus of slow-wave sleep18 is well recognised. Their role in the management of other epilepsy syndromes and seizures, including Lennox–Gastaut, severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (or Dravet syndrome) and Rasmussen syndrome is less clear, but a course of prednisolone may be effective in treating a marked exacerbation of myoclonic or atypical absence seizures or non-convulsive status epilepticus 16.…”

Marijuana Compounds: A Non-Conventional Therapeutic Approach to Epilepsy in Children

“…Individuals experiencing acute seizures are treated with benzodiazepines, such as clonazepam, lorazepam and midazolam. Maintenance treatment for chronic seizures associated with Dravet syndrome most commonly include levetiracetam and sodium valproate often in combination with topiramate or stiripentol [69,70]. Certain AEDs can aggravate seizures and should be avoided in patients with Dravet syndrome.…”

Music therapy as a non-pharmacological treatment for epilepsy

“…This disease often causes multiple complications, affects the mental health of the patient and even leads to disability and death, resulting in a heavy burden on society and family [3,9]. In the past 20 years, despite a substantial increase in the types of anti-epileptic drugs available [3,10,11], approximately one-third of patients still develop drugresistant epilepsy [3,12]. Moreover, anti-epileptic drugs may cause a variety of side effects such as skin rashes, dizziness, weight gain, osteoporosis, liver damage, psychiatric symptoms, intellectual impairment, fetal malformations, spontaneous abortion during pregnancy and others [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]; therefore, the tolerance of pharmacological treatment is limited.…”

“…Therefore, an alternative method for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy is zurgently needed. Currently, nonpharmacological epilepsy treatments offer alternative treatment options [11,[22][23][24][25][26], of which music therapy has received increasing attention. Studies have suggested that specific auditory stimuli (such as Mozart K.448, i.e., Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448 [27]) can be effective at reducing seizures and may even completely control seizures [28,29].…”