Mood Disorders and Quality of Life in Patients with Focal Epilepsy Treated with Eslicarbazepine Acetate
Abstract number :
3.335
Submission category :
7. Antiepileptic Drugs / 7E. Other
Year :
2019
Submission ID :
2422229
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/9/2019 1:55:12 PM
Published date :
Nov 25, 2019, 12:14 PM
Authors :
Laura Abraira del Fresno, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology department, Val; Manuel Quintana, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology department, Val; Estevo Santamarina, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology department, Val; Elena Fonseca, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology department, Val; Javier Sa
Rationale: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a short-acting sodium channel blocker that provides some enhancement of the slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. This pharmacological group has proven useful in the treatment of mood and behavior disorders. We aimed to evaluate the impact of treatment with ESL on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients with focal epilepsy. Methods: 44 patients with focal epilepsy under ESL treatment were prospectively analyzed. Baseline and clinical characteristics (medical history, type of epilepsy and etiology, frequency of seizures and drug treatment) were recorded. All patients were assessed for anxiety, depression, and quality of life using HADs (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and QOLIE-10 questionnaires. Patients were evaluated before and after 6 months after starting ESL. Results: The mean of age was 47.7±16.1 years and 50% were women. 54.5% of patients had seizure onset in temporal lobe and 22.7% in frontal lobe. Unknown etiology was the most frequently seen (52.3%). Patients showed a trend towards improvement in anxiety (p=0.084), depression (p=0.110), and quality of life (p=0.075) scores. A greater improvement in depression was observed when ESL was started due to adverse events related to previous antiepileptic treatments (-2.2 vs. +0.7, p=0.023). Younger patients (R: -0.308, p=0.042) and those with a higher mean of seizures per month at the baseline visit (R: 0.305, p=0.044) showed a greater improvement in quality of life. In the multiple regression analysis, the only independent predictor of getting better depression scores was starting ESL due to adverse events related to previous antiepileptic treatments (p=0.023); independent predictors of better quality of life were a higher baseline frequency of seizures (p=0.006) and the lack of psychiatric history (p=0.015). Conclusions: ESL may improve depression and quality of life in patients with focal epilepsy, particularly in those with adverse events related to previous antiepileptic treatments, with no changes in the remaining group. Funding: No funding
Antiepileptic Drugs