Lafora Disease - Prognosis

Prognosis

There is no treatment, and therapy is mainly supportive and symptomatic. Although seizure and myoclonus can be controlled for a long period by using antiepileptic drugs, patients rarely survive beyond one or two decades due to the devastating effects of dementia and ataxia. One medication, Zonisamide, has been shown to lengthen the life of those with the disease. This medication helps control and decrease the severity of the seizures affected patients often experience. Gene therapy strategies are being tried in a mouse model.