Thalidomide for treatment of refractory epilepsy

SummaryWe have experimentally shown that thalidomide has strong anticonvulsant properties. In an open label study, eight male patients with refractory epilepsy received thalidomide at daily-doses of 200 mg during 1 year, frequency of seizures before and during treatment were compared. The mean number of seizures before thalidomide administration was 26 ± 4 per month; it decreased to 7 ± 1 along thalidomide therapy. Our results indicate that thalidomide has strong therapeutic effects in refractory epilepsy.