Long-term outcomes of treatment with levetiracetam and valproate in idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of valproate and levetiracetam monotherapy in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizure alone.

Methods

This retrospective-prospective cohort study was conducted on 170 adult patients who commenced monotherapy with valproate or levetiracetam between March 2019 and March 2023. The study outcomes were seizure-free rate, time to first seizure, retention rate, time to withdrawal and adverse events, which were registered following a one-to-five-year follow-up period.

Results

The seizure-free rates of levetiracetam and valproate were comparable in the one-year follow-up (65.9 % vs. 62.4 %, p:0.74) and in favor of levetiracetam in the five-year follow-up (90.9 % vs. 44.4 %, p:0.05). The retention rate of levetiracetam was higher than valproate (97.6 % vs. 82.4 % in the first year and 55.2 % vs. 21.6 % in the fifth year). The time to first seizure was found to be similar between the two groups (p = 0.43), but the time to withdrawal was significantly longer in patients on levetiracetam (p < 0.001). The incidence of adverse events was comparable between the two groups. However, the withdrawal rate due to adverse events was significantly higher in the valproate group. Levetiracetam demonstrated a higher occurrence of psychiatric adverse events, which were addressed with dose adjustments and psychiatric intervention in 37.6 % of patients but resulted in drug discontinuation in 3.5 % of cases.

Conclusion

The findings of this study indicate that levetiracetam monotherapy may represent an efficacious alternative to valproate in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizure alone, particularly in women of reproductive age.