ABSTRACT
Insufficient long-term seizure control and side
effects limit the clinical benefit of AED
treatment. Unfortunately, the introduction of
AEDs over the past decade has not
significantly reduced the proportion of
patients with chronic, drug-refractory
epilepsy.4 This is due to efficacy profiles that
are not substantially better than for the older
AEDs as well as safety concerns, such as liver
failure and aplastic anemia with the use of
felbamate; irreversible, concentric visual field
defects due to vigabatrin,5 and severe
hypersensitivity reactions with lamotrigine.
