AED Treatment Through Different Ages: As Our Brains Change, Should Our Drug Choices Also?

Patient age can impact selection of the optimal antiepileptic drug for a number of reasons. Changes in brain physiology from neonate to elderly, as well as changes in underlying etiologies of epilepsy, could potentially affect the ability of different drugs to control seizures. Unfortunately, much of this is speculative, as good studies demonstrating differences in efficacy across age ranges do not exist. Beyond the issue of efficacy, certain drugs may be more or less appropriate at different ages because of differing pharmacokinetics, including changes in hepatic metabolism, absorption, and elimination. Lack of appropriate drug formulations (such as liquid forms) may be a barrier to using drugs in the very young. Finally, some serious adverse events are seen either exclusively or preferentially at different ages.