title: Clinical evaluation of Gabitril and Lamictal for drug-resistant epilepsy in adults.
abstract: Second generation antiepileptics lamotrigine (LTG) and tiagabine (TGB) were primarily licensed for adjunctive treatment of simple and complex partial seizures with/without secondary generalisation as similarly effective drugs. Reduction of seizures frequency is the most important index of drug efficacy, but overall therapeutic benefit estimated as a quality of life is nowadays the target goal of management. In this study efficacy and tolerability of LTG or TGB as short-term add-on treatment in patients with refractory complex partial seizures were assessed by the use of both physician-rated measures (mean monthly seizure frequency, responders rate, adverse events, clinical biochemistry) and patients perceived change in their own quality of life estimation (descriptive scale and visual analogue scale-VAS). Comparable efficacy of LTG (n-22, 378 mg/day) and TGB (n-26, 43 mg/g) was assessed as 41 and 35% of responders and above half of patients with noticeable improvement. 25% of patients in both groups reported reduction of seizures severity in 4-points descriptive scale. Biochemistry values did not show clinically significant changes after treatment. 13% of patients on LTG reported adverse events (headache, asthenia, irritability, insomnia). This coefficient was greater for TGB-35% (asthenia, headache, sleepiness, vertigo). However, no case of discontinuation as a result of adverse events was reported for either of the tested drugs. Even if efficacy of LTG and TGB was comparable in objective measurements, only patients on LTG reported a significant quality of life improvement in VAS. This might be the consequence of more frequent adverse events and treatment schedule of TGB (triple dosing/day). This trial confirmed that VAS might be used as an easy additional test in evaluation of antiepileptic drug for individual patient in everyday clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinic of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chmielewska
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Stelmasiak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004351:Drug Resistance; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009557:Nipecotic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011897:Random Allocation; D000078308:Tiagabine; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D009557:Nipecotic Acids; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D000078308:Tiagabine