ABSTRACT

This study was designed to determine the incidence and clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) findings of therapy-resistant patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).

The study included 95 consecutive JME patients who were evaluated within a year. Clinical, EEG and neuroimaging findings were reviewed. Resistance to therapy was defined as the occurrence of one or more generalized tonic-clonic seizures within a year or two or more myoclonic seizures within a month despite adequate monotherapy with therapeutic serum levels and appropriate living circumstances. False resistance was defined as the persistence of seizures due to low patient compliance, inadequate lifestyle, or to inadequate drug administration.

Resistance to therapy (7.3%) and false resistance (7.3%) were determined in seven patients, respectively. The incidence of status epilepticus, systemic and psychiatric problems were significantly high in therapy-resistant patients (p<0.001). Other clinical and EEG findings did not differ significantly. The presence of psychiatric problems was significantly high in patients showing false resistance to therapy (p<0.001).

The presence of status epilepticus, systemic and psychiatric problems may be distinctive features in therapy-resistant JME patients.

Keywords: Anticonvulsants/therapeutic use, drug resistance, electroencephalography, myoclonic epilepsy, juvenile/diagnosis/drug therapy