The Effect of Levetiracetam Therapy on the Autonomous Nerve System in Epilepsy Patients

Aim: It was aimed to research the effects of levetiracetam on some autonomic functions by comparing autonomous nerve system tests in epilepsy patients using levetiracetam monotherapy with the tests of the healthy volunteers who don't use drug. Material and Method: Fourty-one patients diagnosed with partial epilepsy using levetiracetam were included in this study. Control group was selected from 35 healthy volunteers who don't have epilepsy. RR interval variation (RRIV), valsalva, and tilt tests were applied to patient and control groups in order to assess the autonomous nerve system functions. Results: No statistically-significant differences were found in the results of RRIV, valsalva, and tilt tests in patients in comparison with the control group (p>0.05). No statistical significances weren't also observed when the results of upright position and the postural blood pressure changes were compared with the control group (p>0.05). Discussion: Our findings had shown that using levetiracetam therapy had no effect on the responses of heart rate and blood pressure in epilepsy patients.