Oral baclofen in cerebral palsy: possible seizure potentiation?

Hansel, Donna E; Hansel, Christian R.W; Shindle, Michael K; Reinhardt, Elsie M; Madden, LaVerne; Levey, Eric B; Johnston, Michael V; Hoon, Alexander H

doi:10.1016/S0887-8994(03)00208-X

« Previous Next »Pediatric Neurology
Volume 29, Issue 3 , Pages 203-206, September 2003

Oral baclofen in cerebral palsy: possible seizure potentiation?

Donna E Hansel, MD, PhD
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Christian R.W Hansel, PhD
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Michael K Shindle, BA
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Elsie M Reinhardt, MSN, PNP
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
LaVerne Madden, BSN, RN
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Eric B Levey, MD
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Michael V Johnston, MD
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Alexander H Hoon Jr., MD, MPH
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Communications should be addressed to: Dr. Hoon; Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine; Kennedy Krieger Institute; 707 North Broadway; Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Received 26 November 2002; accepted 3 March 2003.

Abstract

Baclofen, a gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist, is widely used to treat spasticity of cerebral and spinal origin. Patients with both acute baclofen overdose and withdrawal have developed seizures. After several reports of new-onset seizures in children treated with oral baclofen at our institution, we reviewed our experience regarding possible effects of baclofen on seizure induction in a childhood movement disorders program over a 2-year period. Of 54 children (ages 1-10) treated with oral baclofen, 19 (35%) had a prior history of seizures. Five children (14%) developed new-onset seizures after starting baclofen. Although epilepsy is very common in children with cerebral palsy, these findings raise the possibility that baclofen may potentiate seizures in certain young children with cerebral palsy. Further study of the effects of baclofen on seizures is warranted.