TY - JOUR
T1 - Antiepileptic drugs and quality of life in the elderly
T2 - Results from a randomized double-blind trial of carbamazepine and lamotrigine in patients with onset of epilepsy in old age
AU - Saetre, Erik
AU - Abdelnoor, Michael
AU - Perucca, Emilio
AU - Taubøll, Erik
AU - Isojärvi, Jouko
AU - Gjerstad, Leif
PY - 2010/3
Y1 - 2010/3
N2 - During an international double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in patients aged ≥65 with newly diagnosed epilepsy, the comparative effects of the drugs on health-related quality of life were investigated based on screening and 12-, 28-, and 40-week data, using the modified Side Effect and Life Satisfaction (SEALS) Inventory and the Liverpool Adverse Event Profile. Of 167 patients, 29 discontinued before first follow-up, and data were incomplete for 13. In 125 eligible subjects (62 taking carbamazepine, 63 taking lamotrigine), comparable baseline data did not change significantly during medication, within or across treatments. A borderline difference in the SEALS Dysphoria subscores favored lamotrigine. No difference between completers and noncompleters was identified. Twelve-week data for noncompleters were comparable across treatments. Changes in the inventories up to 40 weeks correlated moderately. Neither lamotrigine nor carbamazepine seems likely to cause significant changes in health-related quality of life measures after 40 weeks at therapeutic doses.
AB - During an international double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in patients aged ≥65 with newly diagnosed epilepsy, the comparative effects of the drugs on health-related quality of life were investigated based on screening and 12-, 28-, and 40-week data, using the modified Side Effect and Life Satisfaction (SEALS) Inventory and the Liverpool Adverse Event Profile. Of 167 patients, 29 discontinued before first follow-up, and data were incomplete for 13. In 125 eligible subjects (62 taking carbamazepine, 63 taking lamotrigine), comparable baseline data did not change significantly during medication, within or across treatments. A borderline difference in the SEALS Dysphoria subscores favored lamotrigine. No difference between completers and noncompleters was identified. Twelve-week data for noncompleters were comparable across treatments. Changes in the inventories up to 40 weeks correlated moderately. Neither lamotrigine nor carbamazepine seems likely to cause significant changes in health-related quality of life measures after 40 weeks at therapeutic doses.
KW - Antiepileptic drugs
KW - Carbamazepine
KW - Elderly
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Lamotrigine
KW - Quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77649338216&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77649338216&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.12.026
DO - 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.12.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 20149756
AN - SCOPUS:77649338216
VL - 17
SP - 395
EP - 401
JO - Epilepsy and Behavior
JF - Epilepsy and Behavior
SN - 1525-5050
IS - 3
ER -