[Perampanel as a therapy option in patients with epilepsy].

BACKGROUND: This article describes a monocentric retrospective analysis of clinical experience with the latest antiepileptic drug perampanel with non-competitive modulation of postsynaptic AMPA receptors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Evaluation of electronic medical charts of patients newly treated with perampanel between 2012 and 2014 at the epilepsy center of the University Hospital Freiburg regarding effectiveness and tolerability.

RESULTS: A total of 85 patients (45 male, mean age 37.4 years, range 14-80 years) with therapy resistance to an average of 6 antiepileptic medications were newly treated with add-on perampanel. Of the patients 35 % experienced a relevant reduction in seizures. The most commonly reported side effects were tiredness (32.5 %), dizziness (24.5 %) and irritability (10.5 %). The dosages resulting in a significant reduction in seizures which varied between patients from 4 to 12 mg/day. Even multidrug-resistant patients who had not benefited from vagus nerve and deep brain stimulation, profited from add-on treatment with perampanel.

CONCLUSION: In this cohort, even epilepsy patients who did not respond to multiple previous antiepileptic treatment profited from add-on therapy with the new mode of action of perampanel.