the effect of nigella sativa l. on intractable pediatric seizures

background: despite availability and administration of numerous antiepileptic drugs (aeds) nearly 15% of childhood epilepsy cases are resistant to treatment; in traditional medicine however nigella sativa l. (black seed) has been known for its anticonvulsant effects. materials and methods: in this double-blind clinical trial conducted on children with refractory epilepsy we administered the aqueous extract of black seed as an adjunct therapy and compared the effects with those of a placebo. the study was performed between sep 2003 and nov 2004. the subjects received either extract or placebo for a period of four weeks and between these two periods for two weeks they received only their pre-existing anti-epileptic drugs (aeds). results: the mean frequency of seizures decreased significantly during treatment with extract, (p-value =0/007). conclusion: it can be concluded that the water extract of nigella sativa l. has antiepileptic effects in children with refractory seizures that do not respond to known aeds.