Levetiracetam is Less Effective than Phenobarbital in Treating Seizures Associated with KCNQ2 Variant of Benign Familial Neonatal Convulsions

Abstract Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is an autosomal dominant disorder that presents with generalized tonic–clonic and partial seizures. Levetiracetam is becoming increasingly popular for the treatment of neonatal seizures due to a benign safety profile. Concern has arisen over possible neurotoxicity and apoptosis due to phenobarbital. A male infant with BFNC due to a KCNQ2 mutation responded to phenobarbital but not to levetiracetam. The patient's brother with the same mutation had seizures on day 4 of life; phenobarbital was administered and he became seizure free. This suggests that levetiracetam is a less effective treatment than phenobarbital for BFNC.