Impact of the current antiepileptic drugs on quality of life of epileptic patients

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.