Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience
Background. Phenobarbital (PB) has been traditionally used as the first-line treatment for neonatal seizures. More recently, levetiracetam (LEV) has been increasingly used as a promising newer antiepileptic medication for treatment of seizures in neonates. Objectives. The aim of our study was to com...
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Wiley
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioural Neurology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3683548 |
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| author | Raffaele Falsaperla Laura Mauceri Piero Pavone Massimo Barbagallo Giovanna Vitaliti Martino Ruggieri Francesco Pisani Giovanni Corsello |
| author_facet | Raffaele Falsaperla Laura Mauceri Piero Pavone Massimo Barbagallo Giovanna Vitaliti Martino Ruggieri Francesco Pisani Giovanni Corsello |
| author_sort | Raffaele Falsaperla |
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| description | Background. Phenobarbital (PB) has been traditionally used as the first-line treatment for neonatal seizures. More recently, levetiracetam (LEV) has been increasingly used as a promising newer antiepileptic medication for treatment of seizures in neonates. Objectives. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of PB vs. LEV on short-term neurodevelopmental outcome in infants treated for neonatal seizures. Method. This randomized, one-blind prospective study was conducted on term neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of S. Bambino Hospital, University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele,” Catania, Italy, from February 2016 to February 2018. Thirty term neonates with seizures were randomized to receive PB or LEV; the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) was used at baseline (T0) and again one month after the initial treatment (T1). Results. We found a significantly positive HNNE score for the developmental outcomes, specifically tone and posture, in neonates treated with LEV. There was no significant improvement in the HNNE score at T1 in the neonates treated with PB. Conclusion. This study suggests a positive effect of levetiracetam on tone and posture in term newborns treated for neonatal seizures. If future randomized-controlled studies also show better efficacy of LEV in the treatment of neonatal seizures, LEV might potentially be considered as the first-line anticonvulsant in this age group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-11f601397ca446fca8f25fd7e67c91d9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0953-4180 1875-8584 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Behavioural Neurology |
| spelling | doaj-art-11f601397ca446fca8f25fd7e67c91d92025-02-03T05:47:25ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842019-01-01201910.1155/2019/36835483683548Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center ExperienceRaffaele Falsaperla0Laura Mauceri1Piero Pavone2Massimo Barbagallo3Giovanna Vitaliti4Martino Ruggieri5Francesco Pisani6Giovanni Corsello7Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Santo Bambino Hospital, University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, Via Tindaro 2, 95124 Catania, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Santo Bambino Hospital, University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, Via Tindaro 2, 95124 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Pediatrics, AOU Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Pediatrics, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale e di Alta Specializzazione Garibaldi, Catania, ItalyUnit of Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency, University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele”, Via Plebiscito 628, 95124 Catania, ItalyUnit of Rare Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, ItalyChild Neuropsychiatry Unit, Medicine & Surgery Department, Neuroscience Division, University of Parma, Parma, ItalyDepartment of Maternal and Child Health, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyBackground. Phenobarbital (PB) has been traditionally used as the first-line treatment for neonatal seizures. More recently, levetiracetam (LEV) has been increasingly used as a promising newer antiepileptic medication for treatment of seizures in neonates. Objectives. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of PB vs. LEV on short-term neurodevelopmental outcome in infants treated for neonatal seizures. Method. This randomized, one-blind prospective study was conducted on term neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of S. Bambino Hospital, University Hospital “Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele,” Catania, Italy, from February 2016 to February 2018. Thirty term neonates with seizures were randomized to receive PB or LEV; the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) was used at baseline (T0) and again one month after the initial treatment (T1). Results. We found a significantly positive HNNE score for the developmental outcomes, specifically tone and posture, in neonates treated with LEV. There was no significant improvement in the HNNE score at T1 in the neonates treated with PB. Conclusion. This study suggests a positive effect of levetiracetam on tone and posture in term newborns treated for neonatal seizures. If future randomized-controlled studies also show better efficacy of LEV in the treatment of neonatal seizures, LEV might potentially be considered as the first-line anticonvulsant in this age group.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3683548 |
| spellingShingle | Raffaele Falsaperla Laura Mauceri Piero Pavone Massimo Barbagallo Giovanna Vitaliti Martino Ruggieri Francesco Pisani Giovanni Corsello Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience Behavioural Neurology |
| title | Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience |
| title_full | Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience |
| title_fullStr | Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience |
| title_short | Short-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Neonates Treated with Phenobarbital versus Levetiracetam: A Single-Center Experience |
| title_sort | short term neurodevelopmental outcome in term neonates treated with phenobarbital versus levetiracetam a single center experience |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/3683548 |
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