Amantadine for the Treatment of Refractory Absence Seizures in Children

Abstract Amantadine has demonstrated efficacy in small series for absence and myoclonic type seizures. We examined the efficacy of amantadine for treating refractory absence seizures in a cohort of pediatric patients. We retrospectively reviewed medical records for patients with absence seizures treated with amantadine at Cook Children’s Medical Center after January 2007. Abstracted data included sex, age at initiation, concomitant antiepileptic drugs, amantadine dosing, and seizure frequency. Outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiation were categorized as >90%, ≥50%, or 90% reduction in seizure frequency. Amantadine may constitute an efficacious alternative treatment for refractory absence seizures.