Amantadine in the treatment of refractory epilepsy in childhood: an open trial in 10 patients.

Amantadine HCl was given to 10 children with medically refractory seizures; other anticonvulsant medications were continued unchanged through the 12- to 16-week trial. Several patients noted improvement in control of myoclonic or atypical absence seizures. Tonic seizures were controlled in one patient, but worsened in another. Tonic-clonic and atonic seizures remained unchanged or worsened. Amantadine may be useful as an adjunctive anticonvulsant in some children with refractory atypical absence or myoclonic seizures.