Epilepsy patients treated with antiepileptic drug therapy exhibit compromised ocular perfusion characteristics.
OBJECTIVE
Reduced cerebral blood flow and decreased cerebral glucose metabolism have been identified in patients with epilepsy treated with antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ocular haemodynamics are similarly reduced in patients with epilepsy treated with AEDs.


METHODS
Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure retinal capillary microvascular flow, volume, and velocity in the temporal neuroretinal rim of 14 patients diagnosed with epilepsy (mean age, 42.0 +/- 0.9 years). These values were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched normal subject group (n = 14; mean age, 41.7 +/- 0.3 years). Student's unpaired two-tailed t tests were used to compare ocular blood-flow parameters between the epilepsy and normal subject groups (p < 0.05; Bonferroni corrected).


RESULTS
A significant reduction in retinal blood volume (p = 0.001), flow (p = 0.003), and velocity (p = 0.001) was observed in the epilepsy group (13.52 +/- 3.75 AU, 219.14 +/- 76.61 AU, and 0.77 +/- 0.269 AU, respectively) compared with the normal subject group (19.02 +/- 5.11 AU, 344.03 +/- 93.03 AU, and 1.17 +/- 0.301 AU, respectively). Overall, the percentage mean difference between the epilepsy and normal groups was 36.31% for flow, 28.92% for volume, and 34.19% for velocity.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with epilepsy exhibit reduced neuroretinal capillary blood flow, volume, and velocity compared with normal subjects. A reduction in ocular perfusion may have implications for visual function in people with epilepsy.
Hilton
Emma J Roff
EJ
Neurosciences Research Institute, Aston University, and University Of Birmingham Seizure Clinic, Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital, Birmingham, England. s.l.hosking@aston.ac.uk
Hosking
Sarah L
SL
Betts
Tim
T
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D002196:Capillaries / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology
D000927:Anticonvulsants