Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of nightly oral administration of topiramate for treating benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS).
Methods: Eighty-five children with BECTS receiving topiramate treatment were randomly divided into A group (44 patients) and B group (41 patients). In A group, topiramate was orally administrated once a night, with a final dose of 2 mg/kg/day. In B group, topiramate was orally administrated twice a day, with a final dose of 4 mg/kg/day. At the end of the 12-month follow-up period, clinical efficacy, changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, and adverse reactions were analyzed.
Results: There was no significant difference in overall efficacy rate, percentages of patients achieving seizure free, or changes in EEG activity between the two groups (P > 0.05). The rate of adverse reactions for A group was 9.1 %, which was significantly lower than the 29.3 % for B group (χ (2) = 4.262, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Nightly oral administration of topiramate is a feasible strategy for the treatment of BECTS, with the advantages of comparable efficacy, convenience, and fewer adverse reactions.
Keywords: Benign childhood epilepsy; Therapy; Topiramate; Treatment.