Epilepsy in cerebral palsy: problems of antiepileptic therapy
Epilepsy and cerebral palsy (CP) are among the most frequently co-occurring neurological disorders and are characterized by high comorbidity. This article provides a brief overview of the issue and presents clinical cases of patients with CP combined with focal epilepsy of childhood with structural brain changes and benign epileptiform discharges of childhood on electroencephalogram (FECSBC-BEDC) and infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. Vigabatrin is a first-line drug for the treatment of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome and can also be successfully used for focal epilepsy in patients with CP. Due to its GABA-mediated mechanism of action, vigabatrin has demonstrated the ability to reduce symptoms of spasticity in dystonia. Although the FECSBC-BEDC syndrome has been described in patients with CP, it has not yet been assigned a taxonomic position in the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. Sulthiame has demonstrated efficacy and good tolerability in patients with FECSBC-BEDC.