Acoustic effects of lamotrigine in pediatric patients with epilepsy

The aim of this study was to investigate the acoustic effects of lamotrigine in pediatric epileptic patients. Newly diagnosed 52 pediatric epileptic patients were assessed standard speech test through a Computerized Speech Lab applied before the beginning of therapy with lamotrigine and 2 months after dosage had been stabilized. The voice onset times for /t/, /k(h/), /p'/ and /t'/ after the therapy and those for /p/, /k/, /p(h), /t(h)/ and /k'/ was not affected. Total durations for all stop consonants did not change significantly except that lenis /p/ and /k/ increased significantly (P < 0.05). No noteworthy alteration was observed for mean pitch and speaking rate of counting 1-10. Vowel formants and precise articulation rate remained the same. In conclusion, no significant effects of lamotrigine on speech were found in this study. Lamotrigine is safe for acoustic function in pediatric patients. (C) 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.