Epilepsy in cerebral palsy: problems of antiepileptic therapy
- Authors: Tomenko T.R.1,2,3, Tsotsonava Z.M.4, Shchennikova M.Y.5, Sagutdinova E.S.2, Chebanenko N.V.6, Lavrentyeva V.P.1,2,3, Markin A.V.5
-
Affiliations:
- Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia
- “European medical center “UMMC-Health” LLC
- Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin
- Astrakhan State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia
- Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy
- Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education, Ministry of Health of Russia
- Issue: Vol 21, No 2 (2026)
- Pages: 46-58
- Section: ORIGINAL REPORTS
- Published: 30.07.2026
- URL: https://rjdn.abvpress.ru/jour/article/view/561
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17650/2073-8803-2026-21-2-46-58
- ID: 561
Cite item
Abstract
Epilepsy and cerebral palsy (CP) are among the most frequently co-occurring neurological disorders and are characterized by high comorbidity. This article provides a brief overview of the issue and presents clinical cases of patients with CP combined with focal epilepsy of childhood with structural brain changes and benign epileptiform discharges of childhood on electroencephalogram (FECSBC-BEDC) and infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. Vigabatrin is a first-line drug for the treatment of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome and can also be successfully used for focal epilepsy in patients with CP. Due to its GABA-mediated mechanism of action, vigabatrin has demonstrated the ability to reduce symptoms of spasticity in dystonia. Although the FECSBC-BEDC syndrome has been described in patients with CP, it has not yet been assigned a taxonomic position in the International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. Sulthiame has demonstrated efficacy and good tolerability in patients with FECSBC-BEDC.
About the authors
Tatyana R. Tomenko
Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia; “European medical center “UMMC-Health” LLC; Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin
Author for correspondence.
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0652-1996
Russian Federation, 3 Repina St., Yekaterinburg 620028; 113 Sheynkmana St., Yekaterinburg 620144; 19 Mira St., Yekaterinburg 620002
Zh. M. Tsotsonava
Astrakhan State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3275-5099
Russian Federation, 121 Bakinskaya St., Astrakhan 414000
M. Yu. Shchennikova
Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0008-4807-2886
Russian Federation, 9 Akademika Anokhina St., Moscow 119571
E. Sh. Sagutdinova
“European medical center “UMMC-Health” LLC
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6752-8382
Russian Federation, 113 Sheynkmana St., Yekaterinburg 620144
N. V. Chebanenko
Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education, Ministry of Health of Russia
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7231-0249
Russian Federation, Build. 1, 2/1 Barrikadnaya St., Moscow 125993
V. P. Lavrentyeva
Ural State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia; “European medical center “UMMC-Health” LLC; Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0000-3295-7294
Russian Federation, 3 Repina St., Yekaterinburg 620028; 113 Sheynkmana St., Yekaterinburg 620144; 19 Mira St., Yekaterinburg 620002
A. V. Markin
Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child and Adult Neurology and Epilepsy
Email: trtomenko@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9510-4918
Russian Federation, 9 Akademika Anokhina St., Moscow 119571
References
- Bykova O.V., Platonova A.N., Balkanskaya S.V., Batysheva T.T. Cerebral palsy and epilepsy – approaches to treatment and rehabilitation. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. Spetsvypuski = S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. Special Issues 2012;112(7–2):64–70. (In Russ.).
- Glukhova L.Yu., Markin A.V. New arguments for patients with apnea and epilepsy. Russkiy zhurnal detskoy nevrologii = Russian Journal of Child Neurology 2025;20(4):84–92. (In Russ.). doi: 10.17650/2073-8803-2025-20-4-84-92
- Zykov V.P., Murachueva F.A., Chebanenko N.V. et al. Epilepsy and cerebral palsy: clinical syndromology, outcomes, and prognosis. Doktor.Ru = Doctor.Ru 2022;21(7):20–27. (In Russ.). doi: 10.31550/1727-2378-2022-21-7-20-27
- Karpova M.N., Kuznetsova L.V., Klishina N.Yu. GABA and its receptors in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Uspekhi fiziologicheskikh nauk = Advances in Physiological Sciences 2015;46(3):46–59. (In Russ.).
- Mukhin K.Yu., Kuzmich G.V., Balkanskaya S.V. et al. Features of epileptiform activity of EEG in children with periventricular leukomalacia and cerebral palsy in the absence of epilepsy. Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova. Spetsvypuski = S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. Special Issues 2012;112(7–2):71–6. (In Russ.).
- Kholin A.A., Zavadenko N.N., Esipova E.S. Cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Voprosy prakticheskoy pediatrii = Issues of Practical Pediatrics 2016;(11). (In Russ.).
- Shanavazova M.D., Askevova M.A., Abdulsemedova D.A. et al. Cerebral palsy and epilepsy: two nosologies, one etiology. Meditsina. Sotsiologiya. Filosofiya. Prikladnye issledovaniya = Medicine. Sociology. Philosophy. Applied Research 2023;(2):41–4. (In Russ.).
- Alyoubi R.A., Abu-Zaid A. Epilepsy in cerebral palsy: unraveling prevalence, risk factors, and subtype associations in a large-scale population study. Medicina (Kaunas) 2024;60(11):1809.
- Benfer K.A., Weir K.A., Bell K.L. et al. Oropharyngeal dysphagia and gross motor skills in children with cerebral palsy. Pediatrics 2013;131(5):e1553–62. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-3093
- Cheng W., Yang Y., Chen Y. et al. Anti-seizure medication treatment of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pharmacol 2022;13:821639. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.821639
- Cooper M.S., Mackay M.T., Dagia C. et al. Epilepsy syndromes in cerebral palsy: varied, evolving and mostly self-limited. Brain 2023;146(2):587–99. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac274
- Dan B., Rosenbaum P., Carr L. et al. Updated description of cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2026;68(4):465–76. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.70149
- Dodrill C.B., Arnett J.L., Sommerville K.W., Sussman N.M. Effects of differing dosages of vigabatrin (Sabril) on cognitive abilities and quality of life in epilepsy. Epilepsia 1995;36(2):164–73. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1995.tb00976.x
- Dozieres-Puyravel B., Nasser H., Mauvais F.X. et al. Real-life data comparing the efficacy of vigabatrin and oral steroids given sequentially or combined for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2024;48:61–6. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2023.11.009
- Fehlings D., Agnew B., Gimeno H. et al. Pharmacological and neurosurgical management of cerebral palsy and dystonia: clinical practice guideline update. Dev Med Child Neurol 2024;66(9):1133–47. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15921
- Feroze N., Karim T., Ostojic K. et al. Clinical features associated with epilepsy occurrence, resolution, and drug resistance in children with cerebral palsy: a population-based study. Dev Med Child Neurol 2024;66(6):793–803. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15807
- Garcia J., Wical B., Wical W. et al. Obstructive sleep apnea in children with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2016;58(10):1057–62. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13091
- Grant S.M., Heel R.C. Vigabatrin. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in epilepsy and disorders of motor control. Drugs 1991;41(6):889–926. doi: 10.2165/00003495-199141060-00007
- Javaheri S., Randerath W.J., Safwan Badr M., Javaheri S. Medication-induced central sleep apnea: a unifying concept. Sleep 2024;47(8):zsae038. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsae038
- Joshi S., Young A., Chen A. et al. Polysomnographic diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in children with cerebral palsy – a 10-year retrospective review. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2025;197:112512. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2025.112512
- Nagy E., Farkas N., Hollódy K. Does co-occurred cerebral palsy change the prognosis of west syndrome? Neuropediatrics 2020;51(1):30–6. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1698450
- Noritz G., Davidson L., Steingass K. et al. Providing a primary care medical home for children and youth with cerebral palsy. Pediatrics 2022;2022:e2022060055. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-060055
- Novak I., Jackman M., Finch-Edmondson M., Fahey M. Cerebral palsy. Lancet 2025;406(10499):174–88. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00686-5
- Nyman A., McAllister A., Rodby-Bousquet E. Eating and drinking abilities and nutritional status in children with cerebral palsy: a population-based study. Dev Med Child Neurol 2025;68(7): 959–66. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.70113
- Stewart S.A. The effects of benzodiazepines on cognition. J Clin Psychiatry 2005;66(Suppl 2):9–13.
- Srinivasan J., Richens A. A risk-benefit assessment of vigabatrin in the treatment of neurological disorders. Drug Saf 1994;10(5):395–405. doi: 10.2165/00002018-199410050-00004
- Tian L.H., Tinker S.C., Russell L.A. et al. Prevalence and co-occurring developmental, neurological, and mental health conditions of cerebral palsy among children in the United States: 2016–2021. Matern Child Health J 2025;29(11):1512–9. doi: 10.1007/s10995-025-04177-5
- Wheless J.W., Richardson B., Rubinos C. et al. Dysphagia in epilepsy patients: the silent enemy. Neurol Clin Pract 2025;15(1):e200362. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200362. Erratum in: Neurol Clin Pract 2025;15(1):e200423. doi: 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200423
- Zadikoff C., Munhoz R.P., Asante A.N. et al. Movement disorders in patients taking anticonvulsants. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2007;78(2):147–51. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.2006.100222
- Zafeiriou D.I., Kontopoulos E.E., Tsikoulas I.G. Adrenocorticotropic hormone and vigabatrin treatment of children with infantile spasms underlying cerebral palsy. Brain Dev 1996;18(6):450–2. doi: 10.1016/s0387-7604(96)00045-9
- Zuberi S.M., Wirrell E., Yozawitz E. et al. ILAE classification and definition of epilepsy syndromes with onset in neonates and infants: position statement by the ILAE Task Force on Nosology and Definitions. Epilepsia 2022;63(6):1349–97. doi: 10.1111/epi.17239
Supplementary files


