Influence of major antiepileptic drugs on neuropsychological function: results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal study of seizure-free epilepsy patients on monotherapy.
The aim of this study was to assess cognitive effects of anticonvulsants in a way that would yield results that are most directly applicable to epilepsy populations. This was done with a placebo-controlled, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel group study of anticonvulsant withdrawal in a population of subjects taking a single anticonvulsant with completely controlled seizures. Outcomes of this study on cognitive measures from the California Computerized Assessment Package have recently been reported. To aid comparison with results of prior studies, we report outcomes here on several more standard measures of neuropsychological function. The major findings were that, in subjects with therapeutic drug levels at baseline, drug withdrawal was associated with significant improvement in performance on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test and the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test. Comparable results were achieved in the subgroup taking carbamazepine.
Hessen
Erik
E
Helse Øst Health Services Research Centre, and Department of Neurology, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. erik.hessen@nevropsykologi.no
Lossius
Morten I
MI
Reinvang
Ivar
I
Gjerstad
Leif
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
D000927:Anticonvulsants