Efficacy of levetiracetam in pharmacoresistant continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep

Objective – To evaluate the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) in continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS). Despite first description dates back to 1971, no agreement exists about CSWS treatment. The condition is rare and controlled clinical trials are very difficult to perform, so the reports about efficacy of different drugs are anecdotal. Patients and methods – We introduced LEV in three children affected by symptomatic focal epilepsy and pharmacoresistant CSWS and evaluated clinical, neuropsychological and electroencephalographic outcome. Results – Two cases responded completely, one case showed only a mild reduction of spikes and waves during slow sleep. Conclusion – Even if our report is anecdotal, LEV expands the spectrum of antiepileptic drugs that can be used for the treatment of CSWS. LEV efficacy should be confirmed in larger series.