Levetiracetam in epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder: analysis of safety, tolerability, and efficacy.

Researchers looked at how well the seizure medication levetiracetam works in autistic adults with epilepsy. They compared 40 autistic adults to 135 non-autistic adults taking this medication. The good news is that autistic people responded similarly to the medication - they had similar rates of stopping the medication and similar side effects. This suggests that levetiracetam is a safe and appropriate seizure medication option for autistic adults with epilepsy.

This retrospective study analyzed data from 175 adults aged 18-50 with epilepsy across 18 NHS Trusts, comparing levetiracetam (LEV) responses between 40 autistic individuals and 135 non-autistic individuals. The study found no significant differences in medication withdrawal rates or grouped side effects between groups. While autism was initially associated with aggression, this association became non-significant after multiple testing correction. A significant non-linear relationship between efficacy and autism status was identified (P < 0.001), with autistic individuals potentially experiencing less prominent efficacy changes.

The findings support LEV use in autistic people with epilepsy, suggesting similar tolerability profiles between groups.

Levetiracetam appears to be an appropriate anti-seizure medication choice for autistic adults with epilepsy, showing similar tolerability to non-autistic individuals. Clinicians can prescribe with confidence regarding safety profile, though may need to monitor for potentially different efficacy patterns in autistic patients.

Retrospective design limits causal inferences. Sample restricted to ages 18-50 with no autistic participants over 50. Study period spanned 20 years (2000-2020) with potential changes in clinical practice. Limited details on autism diagnosis methods or seizure types provided.

One in five people with autism spectrum disorder have epilepsy and take Anti-Seizure Medications (ASM). However, the impact of ASM on people with autism is under researched. This study evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of Levetiracetam (LEV) for autistic people and epilepsy. Data was derived from the English Epilepsy Research Database Register which compares ASM responses in those with neurodevelopmental disorders to those without.

Age range was 18-50 years as there were no autistic research participants with autism prescribed LEV over 50. Twelve-month ASM data, including withdrawal rate, seizure frequency and adverse effects were compared. Fisher's exact test was used to assess univariate associations between outcomes and autism with significance accepted as p < 0.05. Logistic regression was used to assess autism group differences after adjustment for potential confounders (age, gender, presence of baseline physical and mental health conditions).

Of 175 (aged 18-50) research participants across 18 NHS Trusts, prescribed LEV between 2000 and 2020, 40 were autistic. There was no significant association between withdrawal rate (P = 0.626), or grouped side effects (physical P = 0.165, mental health P = 0.791). Autism was significantly associated with aggression with LEV in univariable analysis but this association was no longer significant after accounting for multiple testing A significant non-linear relationship between efficacy and the autism group (P < 0.001) was found. This study supports the use of LEV for people with autism and epilepsy as there is no difference in response noted to those without autism.

However, they may have less prominent changes in efficacy.