Management of epilepsy in pediatrics and geriatrics.

For pediatric patients, the earlier in life epilepsy occurs, the lower are long-term mental abilities. Three rare but important conditions among infants and children--pyridoxine-deficiency seizures, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and West syndrome--usually require multidrug therapy to control seizures. Epilepsy occurs more frequently among the elderly and therapy is complicated by treatment of other chronic medical conditions. Numerous effective antiepileptic medications for both pediatric and geriatric patients have been newly marketed in the past decade, with other promising agents in the investigational drug pipeline.