Levetiracetam add-on treatment: five-year-retention in an epilepsy center

Purpose: To investigate the five-year-retention rate after initiation of add-on levetiracteam (LEV) in patients with symptomatic or cryptogenic focal epilepsy syndromes. Methods: We followed the patients in which we already assessed the one-year retention rate previously. All patients were started LEV after the launch as add-on antiepileptic drug in focal epilepsy syndromes in Germany, namely between August 2000 and April 2001. We now investigated the effect on the seizure frequency and severity, side-effects and reasons for discontinuation of LEV after five years in the same patient series. Results: Ninety pati…