ArticlePakistan journal of medical sciences2025
Evaluation of Efficacy and Review of Side Effect Profile in Epilepsy Patients Treated with Extended-Release Levetiracetam.
Article in Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Before attributing a positive effect to levetiracetam extended compared to immediate release, appropriately designed studies are necessary.Pakistan journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Extended-release levetiracetam offers pharmacokinetic advantages over immediate-release formulations, including stable plasma concentrations and once-daily dosing, which may improve seizure control and reduce psychiatric side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy, tolerability, and psychiatric side effect profile of LEV ER in epilepsy patients, either newly initiated or switched from LEV IR. Methodology: A retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted at two tertiary neurology centers in Istanbul, Turkey. Medical records of 40 patients with epilepsy treated with LEV ER for 12-18 weeks were reviewed. Demographic data, seizure frequency, EEG/MRI findings, prior LEV use, treatment type, and psychiatric comorbidities were analyzed. Results: The cohort included 27 females and 13 males (mean age 37.6 years). Mean seizure frequency decreased from 1.66 to 0.6 per month after LEV ER initiation (p < 0.001). Of the 36 patients switched from LEV IR, 88.4% with psychiatric adverse effects showed clinical improvement. Among four patients who initiated LEV ER as first-line therapy due to a preference for once-daily dosing, two discontinued treatment because of adverse effects. Clinical improvement was observed in the complaints of 83.3% of patients who switched from LEV IR to ER form due to psychiatric medication use. Conclusions: LEV ER was associated with a significant reduction in seizure frequency and demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile, particularly with respect to psychiatric adverse effects. Transitioning from LEV IR to LEV ER may offer clinically meaningful advantages in selected patient populations. Nevertheless, further prospective studies with larger cohorts are warranted to confirm these findings.
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