Patterns of Nonadherence to Antiepileptic Drug Therapy in Children With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy, a disorder of recurrent unprovoked seizures, affects 325 000 children younger than 15 years in the United States. Antiepileptic drugs have variable efficacy and the potential for both short- and long-term toxic effects. Nonadherence rates (defined as not taking antiepileptic medications as prescribed) in children with epilepsy are between 12% and 35% based on cross-sectional studies using self-report.¹ Although unknown in pediatric epilepsy, in other chronic diseases, nonadherence demonstrates both intrapatient and interpatient variability over time, suggesting that it is a dynamic behavior.^2,3 As such, nonadherence in children with epilepsy presents a potential ongoing challenge for achieving a key therapeutic goal of no seizures.