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Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome syndrome
NICE Pathways bring together everything NICE says on a topic in an interactive flowchart. NICE Pathways are interactive and designed to be used online.
They are updated regularly as new NICE guidance is published. To view the latest version of this NICE Pathway see:
http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/epilepsy NICE Pathway last updated: 11 June 2020
This document contains a single flowchart and uses numbering to link the boxes to the associated recommendations.
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Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
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1 Person with epilepsy having pharmacological treatment
No additional information
2 Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, Panayiotopoulos syndrome or late-onset childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type) in children and young people
First-line treatment
Discuss with the child or young person, and their family and/or carers, whether AED treatment
for benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, Panayiotopoulos syndrome or late-onset
childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type) is indicated.
Offer carbamazepine1 or lamotrigine as first-line treatment to children and young people with
benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, Panayiotopoulos syndrome or late-onset childhood
occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type).
If carbamazepine or lamotrigine are unsuitable or not tolerated for benign epilepsy with
centrotemporal spikes, Panayiotopoulos syndrome or late-onset childhood occipital epilepsy
(Gastaut type):
Offer levetiracetam or oxcarbazepine to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years). If the first of these AEDs tried is ineffective, offer the other one.
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine or sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential. If the first AED tried is ineffective, offer an alternative from these AEDs.
Be aware that carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine may exacerbate or unmask continuous
spike and wave during slow sleep, which may occur in some children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.
Levetiracetam is not cost effective at June 2011 unit costs2. It may be offered provided the
acquisition cost of levetiracetam falls to at least 50% of June 2011 value documented in the
National Health Service Drug Tariff for England and Wales.
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
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1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented. 2 Estimated cost of a 1500 mg daily dose was £2.74 at June 2011. Cost taken from the National Health Service
Drug Tariff for England and Wales.
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Consider adjunctive treatment if a second well-tolerated AED is ineffective.
Adjunctive treatment
If first-line treatments (see above) for children and young people with benign epilepsy with
centrotemporal spikes, Panayiotopoulos syndrome or late-onset childhood occipital epilepsy
(Gastaut type) are ineffective or not tolerated:
Offer carbamazepine, clobazam, gabapentin,1, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine or topiramate as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years).
Do not offer sodium valproate as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless the other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention plan is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer carbamazepine, clobazam, gabapentin,, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, sodium valproate or topiramate as adjunctive treatment to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
If adjunctive treatment is ineffective or not tolerated, discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary epilepsy
specialist. Other AEDs that may be considered by the tertiary epilepsy specialist are
eslicarbazepine acetate, lacosamide, phenobarbital, phenytoin, pregabalin,, tiagabine,
vigabatrin and zonisamide. Carefully consider the risk–benefit ratio when using vigabatrin
because of the risk of an irreversible effect on visual fields.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
3 Childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile absence epilepsy or other absence epilepsy syndromes
First-line treatment
For first-line treatment of absence seizures:
Offer ethosuximide to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years), unless it is unsuitable.
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place.
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1 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence (MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019).
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Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer ethosuximide or sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential. If there is a high risk of GTC seizures, offer sodium valproate first, unless it is unsuitable.
Adjunctive treatment
If two first-line AEDs for children, young people and adults with absence epilepsy syndromes
are ineffective:
Consider a combination of ethosuximide and lamotrigine1 as adjunctive treatment for women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years).
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Consider a combination of two of these three AEDs as adjunctive treatment for boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential: ethosuximide, lamotrigine or sodium valproate.
If adjunctive treatment is ineffective or not tolerated, discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary epilepsy
specialist and consider clobazam, clonazepam, levetiracetam, topiramate or zonisamide.
Do not offer carbamazepine, gabapentin2, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, pregabalin, tiagabine or
vigabatrin.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
4 Dravet syndrome
Discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist when a child presents with
suspected Dravet syndrome.
First-line treatment
For first-line treatment of Dravet syndrome:
Consider topiramate for women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
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1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented. 2 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a
history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence
(MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019).
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who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years).
Consider sodium valproate or topiramate1 for boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
Do not offer sodium valproate as first-line treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years), unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls .
Adjunctive treatment in children, young people and adults
Discuss with a tertiary epilepsy specialist if first-line treatments in children, young people and
adults with Dravet syndrome are ineffective or not tolerated, and consider clobazam or
stiripentol as adjunctive treatment.
Do not offer carbamazepine, gabapentin2, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, pregabalin,
tiagabine or vigabatrin.
Cannabidiol with clobazam
The following recommendations are from NICE technology appraisal guidance on cannabidiol
with clobazam for treating seizures associated with Dravet syndrome.
Cannabidiol with clobazam is recommended as an option for treating seizures associated with
Dravet syndrome in people aged 2 years and older, only if:
the frequency of convulsive seizures is checked every 6 months, and cannabidiol is stopped if the frequency has not fallen by at least 30% compared with the 6 months before starting treatment
the company provides cannabidiol according to the commercial arrangement.
This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with cannabidiol, with clobazam, that
was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside
this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place before
this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.
For children and young people, this decision should be made jointly by the clinician and the
child or young person, or the child or young person's parents or carers.
See why we made the recommendations on cannabidiol with clobazam for Dravet syndrome.
NICE has published information for the public on cannabidiol with clobazam for Dravet
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1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented. 2 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a
history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence
(MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019).
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syndrome.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
5 Epilepsy with generalised tonic–clonic seizures only
First-line treatment
For first-line treatment of GTC seizures only:
Offer lamotrigine to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years), but be aware of the risk of exacerbating myoclonic or absence seizures.
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer lamotrigine or sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential. If they have suspected myoclonic seizures, or are suspected of having JME, offer sodium valproate first, unless it is unsuitable.
Consider carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine1 but be aware of the risk of exacerbating
myoclonic or absence seizures.
Adjunctive treatment
If first-line treatments for children, young people and adults with GTC seizures only are
ineffective or not tolerated:
Offer clobazam, lamotrigine or levetiracetam as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of
childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their
childbearing years).
Do not offer sodium valproate as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer clobazam, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, sodium valproate or topiramate as adjunctive
treatment to to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
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1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented.
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Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
6 Idiopathic generalised epilepsy
First-line treatment
For first-line treatment of newly diagnosed IGE:
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential, particularly if there is a photoparoxysmal response on EEG.
Offer lamotrigine1 if sodium valproate is unsuitable or not tolerated. Be aware that lamotrigine
can exacerbate myoclonic seizures. If JME is suspected see juvenile myoclonic epilepsy [See
page 15].
Consider topiramate but be aware that it has a less favourable side-effect profile than
lamotrigine.
Adjunctive treatment
If first-line treatments for children, young people and adults with IGE are ineffective or not
tolerated:
Offer lamotrigine, levetiracetamor topiramate as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years).
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are unsuitable, ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer lamotrigine, levetiracetam, sodium valproate or topiramate as adjunctive treatment to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
If adjunctive treatment is ineffective or not tolerated, discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary epilepsy
specialist and consider clobazam, clonazepam or zonisamide.
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1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented.
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Do not offer carbamazepine, gabapentin1, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, pregabalin, tiagabine or
vigabatrin.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
7 Infantile spasms
Discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist when an infant presents with
infantile spasms.
Offer a steroid (prednisolone or tetracosactide2) or vigabatrin as first-line treatment to infants
with infantile spasms that are not due to tuberous sclerosis. Carefully consider the risk–benefit
ratio when using vigabatrin or steroids.
Offer vigabatrin as first-line treatment to infants with infantile spasms due to tuberous sclerosis.
If vigabatrin is ineffective, offer a steroid (prednisolone or tetracosactide). Carefully consider the
risk–benefit ratio when using vigabatrin or steroids.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
8 Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
First-line treatment
For first-line treatment of JME:
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless other options are ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
Consider lamotrigine3, levetiracetam or topiramate if sodium valproate is unsuitable, ineffective
or not tolerated. Be aware that topiramate has a less favourable side-effect profile than
lamotrigine, levetiracetam and sodium valproate, and that lamotrigine may exacerbate
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1 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a
history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence
(MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019). 2 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented. 3 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented.
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myoclonic seizures.
Adjunctive treatment
If first-line treatments for children, young people and adults with JME are ineffective or not
tolerated:
Offer lamotrigine, levetiracetam or topiramate as adjunctive treatment to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years).
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years) unless the other options are unsuitable, ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer lamotrigine, levetiracetam, sodium valproate or topiramate as adjunctive treatment to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
If adjunctive treatment is ineffective or not tolerated, discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary epilepsy
specialist (see when to refer to a tertiary epilepsy service) and consider clobazam, clonazepam
or zonisamide.
Do not offer carbamazepine, gabapentin1, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, pregabalin, tiagabine or
vigabatrin.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
.. (3) [Epilepsy / Pharmacological treatment of epilepsy / Continuing pharmacological treatment]]
9 Lennox–Gastaut syndrome
First-line treatment
Discuss with, or refer to, a tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist when a child presents with
suspected Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.
For first-line treatment of Lennox–Gastaut syndrome:
Do not offer sodium valproate to women and girls of childbearing potential (including young girls who are likely to need treatment into their childbearing years), unless other options are
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1 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a
history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence
(MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019).
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ineffective or not tolerated and the pregnancy prevention programme is in place. Follow the MHRA safety advice on valproate use by women and girls.
Offer sodium valproate to boys, men and women who are not of childbearing potential.
Adjunctive treatment in children, young people and adults
If first-line treatment with sodium valproate is ineffective or not tolerated, offer lamotrigine as
adjunctive treatment to children, young people and adults with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.
Discuss with a tertiary epilepsy specialist if adjunctive treatment is ineffective or not tolerated.
Other AEDs that may be considered by the tertiary epilepsy specialist are rufinamide and
topiramate.
Only offer felbamate1 in centres providing tertiary epilepsy specialist care and when treatment
with all of the AEDs listed above has proved ineffective or not tolerated.
Do not offer carbamazepine, gabapentin2, oxcarbazepine, pregabalin, tiagabine or vigabatrin.
Cannabidiol with clobazam
The following recommendations are from NICE technology appraisal guidance on cannabidiol
with clobazam for treating seizures associated with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome.
Cannabidiol with clobazam is recommended as an option for treating seizures associated with
Lennox–Gastaut syndrome in people aged 2 years and older, only if:
the frequency of drop seizures is checked every 6 months, and cannabidiol is stopped if the frequency has not fallen by at least 30% compared with the 6 months before starting treatment
the company provides cannabidiol according to the commercial arrangement.
This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with cannabidiol, with clobazam, that
was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside
this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place before
this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.
For children and young people, this decision should be made jointly by the clinician and the
child or young person, or the child or young person's parents or carers.
See why we made the recommendations on cannabidiol with clobazam for Lennox-Gastaut
syndrome.
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
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NICE has published information for the public on cannabidiol with clobazam for Lennox–Gastaut
syndrome.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
10 Other epilepsy syndromes
Refer to a tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist all children and young people with continuous
spike and wave during slow sleep, Landau–Kleffner syndrome or myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.
Continuing treatment
See continuing pharmacological treatment.
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
1 At the time of publication (January 2012), this drug did not have UK marketing authorisation for this indication and/
or population (see the BNF or BNFC for details). Informed consent should be obtained and documented. 2 As of 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin are Class C controlled substances (under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971) and scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 as Schedule 3. Evaluate patients carefully for a
history of drug abuse before prescribing and observe patients for development of signs of abuse and dependence
(MHRA, Drug Safety Update April 2019).
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Glossary
Absence seizures
(seizures characterised by behavioural arrest associated with generalised spike wave activity on
EEG)
Adjunctive treatment
(where a medication is added to a first-line anti-epileptic drug for combination therapy)
AED
(anti-epileptic drug: medication taken daily to prevent the recurrence of epileptic seizures)
AEDs
(anti-epileptic drugs: medication taken daily to prevent the recurrence of epileptic seizures)
Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
(an epilepsy syndrome of childhood (5–14 years) characterised by focal motor and/or
secondarily generalised seizures, the majority from sleep, in an otherwise normal individual,
with centrotemporal spikes seen on EEG)
Continuous spike and wave during slow sleep
(an epilepsy syndrome with childhood onset, characterised by a plateau and regression of
cognitive abilities associated with dramatic increase in spike wave activity in slow wave sleep (>
85% of slow sleep); there may be few seizures at presentation)
Dravet syndrome
(previously known as severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy: an epilepsy syndrome with onset in
infancy, characterised by initial prolonged, typically lateralised, febrile seizures, subsequent
development of multiple seizure types including myoclonic, absence, focal and generalised
tonic–clonic seizures, with developmental plateau or regression)
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EEG
(electroencephalogram: an investigation that involves recording the electrical activity of the
brain)
GTC seizures
(a seizure of sudden onset involving generalised stiffening and subsequent rhythmic jerking of
the limbs, the result of rapid widespread engagement of bilateral cortical and subcortical
networks in the brain)
IGE
(idiopathic generalised epilepsy (a well-defined group of disorders characterised by typical
absences, myoclonic and generalised tonic–clonic seizures, alone or in varying combinations in
otherwise normal individuals))
Infantile spasms
(a specific seizure type presenting in the first year of life, most commonly between 3 and 9
months; spasms are brief axial movements lasting 0.2–2 seconds, most commonly flexor in
nature, involving flexion of the trunk with extension of the upper and lower limbs (sometimes
referred to as 'salaam seizures'))
JME
(juvenile myoclonic epilepsy; an epilepsy syndrome with an age of onset of 5–20+ years (peak
10–16 years) characterised by myoclonic seizures that most commonly occur soon after
waking)
Landau–Kleffner syndrome
(a very rare epilepsy syndrome with an age of onset of 3–6 years characterised by loss of
language (after a period of normal language development) associated with an epilepsy of
centrotemporal origin, more specifically bitemporal spikes on EEG with enhancement in sleep or
continuous spike and wave during slow sleep)
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Late-onset childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type)
(epilepsy that starts in mid-childhood to adolescence with frequent brief seizures characterised
by initial visual hallucinations, ictal blindness, vomiting and post-ictal headache; EEG typically
shows interictal occipital spikes attenuated by eye opening)
Myoclonic-astatic epilepsy
(an epilepsy syndrome with an age of onset of 18–60 months, characterised by different seizure
types with myoclonic and myoclonic-astatic seizures seen in all, causing children to fall; the
EEG shows generalised spike/polyspike and wave activity at 2–6 Hz (also known as Doose
syndrome))
Myoclonic seizures
(sudden brief (<100 ms) and almost shock-like involuntary single or multiple jerks due to
abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity and associated with polyspikes on EEG)
Panayiotopoulos syndrome
(epilepsy syndrome presenting in early childhood (mean 4–7 years) with rare, prolonged
seizures; characterised by autonomic features including vomiting, pallor and sweating followed
by tonic eye deviation, impairment of consciousness with possible evolution into secondary
generalisation; prognosis is excellent and treatment often unnecessary)
Tertiary epilepsy specialist
(an adult neurologist who devotes the majority of their working time to epilepsy, works in a
multidisciplinary tertiary referral centre with appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic resources,
and is subject to regular peer review)
Tertiary paediatric epilepsy specialist
(a paediatric neurologist who devotes the majority of their working time to epilepsy, works in a
multidisciplinary tertiary referral centre with appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic resources,
and is subject to regular peer review)
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Sources
Epilepsies: diagnosis and management (2012 updated 2020) NICE guideline CG137
Cannabidiol with clobazam for treating seizures associated with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome
(2019) NICE technology appraisal guidance 615
Cannabidiol with clobazam for treating seizures associated with Dravet syndrome (2019) NICE
technology appraisal guidance 614
Your responsibility
Guidelines
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful
consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and
practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual
needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not
mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility
to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them
and their families and carers or guardian.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline
to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They
should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services,
and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to
advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline
should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable
health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of
implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.
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Technology appraisals
The recommendations in this interactive flowchart represent the view of NICE, arrived at after
careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, health
professionals are expected to take these recommendations fully into account, alongside the
individual needs, preferences and values of their patients. The application of the
recommendations in this interactive flowchart is at the discretion of health professionals and
their individual patients and do not override the responsibility of healthcare professionals to
make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with
the patient and/or their carer or guardian.
Commissioners and/or providers have a responsibility to provide the funding required to enable
the recommendations to be applied when individual health professionals and their patients wish
to use it, in accordance with the NHS Constitution. They should do so in light of their duties to
have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of
opportunity and to reduce health inequalities.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable
health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of
implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.
Medical technologies guidance, diagnostics guidance and interventional procedures guidance
The recommendations in this interactive flowchart represent the view of NICE, arrived at after
careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, healthcare
professionals are expected to take these recommendations fully into account. However, the
interactive flowchart does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to
make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with
the patient and/or guardian or carer.
Commissioners and/or providers have a responsibility to implement the recommendations, in
their local context, in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful
discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations. Nothing in this
interactive flowchart should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance
with those duties.
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndromeAnti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
EpilepsyEpilepsy© NICE 2020. All rights reserved. Subject to Notice of rights.
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Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable
health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of
implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.
Anti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndromeAnti-epileptic drugs to offer based on epilepsy syndrome NICE Pathways
EpilepsyEpilepsy© NICE 2020. All rights reserved. Subject to Notice of rights.
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