THE EFFECT OF CLONAZEPAM (Ro 5‐4023) IN THE SYNDROME OF INFANTILE SPASMS WITH HYPSARRHYTHMIA AND IN PETIT MAL VARIANT OR LENNOX SYNDROME

From a material of 179 cases of various forms of childhood epilepsy treated with clonazepam (Ro 5-4023) the results in 79 cases with two major forms—syndrome of infantile spasms with hypsarrhythmia and petit mal variant or Lennox-syndrome—are presented. The overall effect was complete clinical and EEG control in about one third of the cases, and partial improvement of seizure and/or hypersynchronous EEG activity in a large part of the cases. Clonazepam can therefore be considered as a very important new anti-epileptic medicament for treatment of these forms of severe childhood epilepsy.