Levetiracetam effect on adult-onset temporal lobe epilepsy with positive voltage-gated potassium channel antibody

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2015;27(2):e100-6. doi: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13070158.

Abstract

Temporal lobe epilepsy is considered to be the most frequent of all epileptic syndromes. Recently, several retrospective studies suggest that limbic encephalitis (LE) may be a cause for adult onset unexplained seizure disorders in patients. This report describes two cases of adult onset epilepsy with voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies (VGKC-abs)-associated LE that responded well to levetiracetam (LEV). As demonstrated by these two cases and reviewing previous reports, we propose that the therapeutic regimen for VGKC-abs associated seizures still needs to be determined and LEV may be effective in treating this kind of disorders.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies / blood*
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / blood
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / diagnosis
  • Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Levetiracetam
  • Middle Aged
  • Piracetam / analogs & derivatives*
  • Piracetam / therapeutic use
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / immunology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated
  • Levetiracetam
  • Piracetam