Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21

BackgroundInfantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome (IESS) is the most common epilepsy syndrome in children with trisomy 21. First-line standard treatments for IESS include adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral corticosteroids, and vigabatrin. Among children with trisomy 21 and IESS, treatment with ACT...

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Main Authors: Henry Chen, Adam L. Numis, Renée A. Shellhaas, John R. Mytinger, Debopam Samanta, Rani K. Singh, Shaun A. Hussain, Danielle Takacs, Kelly G. Knupp, Li-Rong Shao, Carl E. Stafstrom
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Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Pediatrics
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1498425/full
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author Henry Chen
Henry Chen
Adam L. Numis
Adam L. Numis
Renée A. Shellhaas
John R. Mytinger
Debopam Samanta
Rani K. Singh
Rani K. Singh
Shaun A. Hussain
Danielle Takacs
Kelly G. Knupp
Li-Rong Shao
Carl E. Stafstrom
author_facet Henry Chen
Henry Chen
Adam L. Numis
Adam L. Numis
Renée A. Shellhaas
John R. Mytinger
Debopam Samanta
Rani K. Singh
Rani K. Singh
Shaun A. Hussain
Danielle Takacs
Kelly G. Knupp
Li-Rong Shao
Carl E. Stafstrom
author_sort Henry Chen
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundInfantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome (IESS) is the most common epilepsy syndrome in children with trisomy 21. First-line standard treatments for IESS include adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral corticosteroids, and vigabatrin. Among children with trisomy 21 and IESS, treatment with ACTH or oral corticosteroids may yield higher response rates compared with vigabatrin. However, supporting data are largely from single-center, retrospective cohort studies.MethodsLeveraging the multi-center, prospective National Infantile Spasms Consortium (NISC) database, we evaluated the efficacy of first-line (standard) treatments for IESS in children with trisomy 21. We assessed clinical spasms remission at two weeks, clinical spasms remission at three months, and improvement of EEG (resolution of hypsarrhythmia) three months after initiation of treatment.ResultsThirty four of 644 (5.3%) children with IESS were diagnosed with trisomy 21. In all children with trisomy 21, epileptic spasms was their presenting seizure type. Twenty of 34 (59%) children were initially treated with ACTH, nine (26%) with oral corticosteroids, and five (15%) with vigabatrin. Baseline demographics did not vary among treatment groups. The overall clinical remission rate after two weeks of treatment was 53% including 13 of 20 (65%) receiving ACTH, three of nine (33%) receiving oral corticosteroids, and two of five (40%) receiving vigabatrin (p = 0.24). The continued clinical response rate at three months was 32% including 8 of 20 (40%) receiving ACTH, two of nine (22%) receiving oral corticosteroids, and one of five (20%) receiving vigabatrin. Thirty of the 34 (88%) children presented with hypsarrhythmia (88%). EEG improvement at three months was better for children treated with ACTH (74%) or oral corticosteroids (83%) than vigabatrin (20%; p = 0.048). Adjustment for time from epileptic spasms onset to treatment did not alter results.ConclusionsIn our cohort, epileptic spasms were the first presenting seizure type in all children with trisomy 21. Among first-line standard treatment options, ACTH may have superior efficacy for clinical and electrographic outcomes for IESS in children with trisomy 21.
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spelling doaj-art-7f12593beb0f492d914ba48a57f33d422025-02-12T07:25:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602025-02-011310.3389/fped.2025.14984251498425Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21Henry Chen0Henry Chen1Adam L. Numis2Adam L. Numis3Renée A. Shellhaas4John R. Mytinger5Debopam Samanta6Rani K. Singh7Rani K. Singh8Shaun A. Hussain9Danielle Takacs10Kelly G. Knupp11Li-Rong Shao12Carl E. Stafstrom13Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United StatesDepartment of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United StatesDepartment of Neurology, Washington University at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDivision of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, Atrium Health-Levine Children’s Hospital, Charlotte, NC, United StatesDepartment of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United StatesDivision of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States0Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United StatesBackgroundInfantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome (IESS) is the most common epilepsy syndrome in children with trisomy 21. First-line standard treatments for IESS include adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral corticosteroids, and vigabatrin. Among children with trisomy 21 and IESS, treatment with ACTH or oral corticosteroids may yield higher response rates compared with vigabatrin. However, supporting data are largely from single-center, retrospective cohort studies.MethodsLeveraging the multi-center, prospective National Infantile Spasms Consortium (NISC) database, we evaluated the efficacy of first-line (standard) treatments for IESS in children with trisomy 21. We assessed clinical spasms remission at two weeks, clinical spasms remission at three months, and improvement of EEG (resolution of hypsarrhythmia) three months after initiation of treatment.ResultsThirty four of 644 (5.3%) children with IESS were diagnosed with trisomy 21. In all children with trisomy 21, epileptic spasms was their presenting seizure type. Twenty of 34 (59%) children were initially treated with ACTH, nine (26%) with oral corticosteroids, and five (15%) with vigabatrin. Baseline demographics did not vary among treatment groups. The overall clinical remission rate after two weeks of treatment was 53% including 13 of 20 (65%) receiving ACTH, three of nine (33%) receiving oral corticosteroids, and two of five (40%) receiving vigabatrin (p = 0.24). The continued clinical response rate at three months was 32% including 8 of 20 (40%) receiving ACTH, two of nine (22%) receiving oral corticosteroids, and one of five (20%) receiving vigabatrin. Thirty of the 34 (88%) children presented with hypsarrhythmia (88%). EEG improvement at three months was better for children treated with ACTH (74%) or oral corticosteroids (83%) than vigabatrin (20%; p = 0.048). Adjustment for time from epileptic spasms onset to treatment did not alter results.ConclusionsIn our cohort, epileptic spasms were the first presenting seizure type in all children with trisomy 21. Among first-line standard treatment options, ACTH may have superior efficacy for clinical and electrographic outcomes for IESS in children with trisomy 21.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1498425/fullinfantile spasmsinfantile epileptic spasms syndromeDown syndrometrisomy 21anti-seizure medicationshypsarrhythmia
spellingShingle Henry Chen
Henry Chen
Adam L. Numis
Adam L. Numis
Renée A. Shellhaas
John R. Mytinger
Debopam Samanta
Rani K. Singh
Rani K. Singh
Shaun A. Hussain
Danielle Takacs
Kelly G. Knupp
Li-Rong Shao
Carl E. Stafstrom
Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
Frontiers in Pediatrics
infantile spasms
infantile epileptic spasms syndrome
Down syndrome
trisomy 21
anti-seizure medications
hypsarrhythmia
title Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
title_full Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
title_fullStr Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
title_full_unstemmed Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
title_short Treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
title_sort treatment efficacy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome in children with trisomy 21
topic infantile spasms
infantile epileptic spasms syndrome
Down syndrome
trisomy 21
anti-seizure medications
hypsarrhythmia
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1498425/full
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