Impact of the current antiepileptic drugs on quality of life of epileptic patients
Rudakova, I.G.; Morozova, O.S.; Kotov, A.S.
Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova Suppl 3: 36-40
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 1997-7298 PMID: 19618712 Document Number: 620217
The purpose of the study was the comparative evaluation of antiepileptic drugs (AED) impact on quality of life (QOL). One hundred and ninety-two patients with symptomatic and probably symptomatic focal epilepsies (mean age 30, 6 +/- 1.05) were investigated. All patients received the following AED as monotherapy: valproate (52), carbamazepine (36), topiramate (56), levitiracetam (24), oxcarbazepine (24). The clinical and neurological examination, EEG and/or video-EEG-monitoring, CT and/ or MRA scan, neuropsychological tests (31-item Quality of Life in Epilepsy--QOLIE-31, version 1 and HUDS) were performed after 3 months of treatment. The higher results of QOL assessment were obtained in the LEV and OXC groups (83.3 and 72%, respectively), the lowest ones--in the CBZ and VPA groups (16.5 and 17%). Clinically relevant emotional disorders occurred more frequently in patients receiving TPM (21.8%), VPA (21.4%) and CBZ (16.6%), significantly rarely in the OXC (8.3%) group and were absent in the LEV group. The strong correlations between QOL, effectiveness, adverse effects and psycho-emotional disorders of AED treatment were found. The best QOL scores were observed in patients treated with newer AED.