Clinical efficacy and cognitive and neuropsychological effects of levetiracetam in epilepsy: an open-label multicenter study.
The aim of this prospective, multicenter, open-label study was to investigate the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) and determine its effects on cognitive and neuropsychological function. Sixty-nine patients were evaluated for effects of LEV on seizure control, cognitive (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) and neuropsychological (Symptom Checklist-90 Revised [SCL-90-R]) functions, and quality of life (Quality of Life in Epilepsy--10 [QOLIE-10]) assessments at 3 and 12 months of follow-up. Thirty-nine percent of patients achieved seizure freedom, and 68% had a > or =50% seizure frequency reduction after 1 year of LEV (1235.5+/-392.7 mg/day). There were also significant improvements in mean MMSE score and in the recall and language items of MMSE. There were modest improvements in interpersonal sensitivity and paranoid ideation scales of the SCL-90-R, and improvements in cognition and medication effect items of the QOLIE-10. The results demonstrate that LEV not only effectively reduces seizure frequency, but also possibly contributes to improvements in neuropsychological functions such as recall, language, interpersonal sensitivity, and paranoid ideation.
Department of Neurology, Chang-Gung Memorial University, Linkou, Taiwan.
Tony
T
Wu
Chih-Chuan
CC
Chen
Ta-Cheng
TC
Chen
Yuan-Fu
YF
Tseng
Chen-Bang
CB
Chiang
Chin-Chuan
CC
Hung
Horng-Huei
HH
Liou
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010465:Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan; D013997:Time Factors
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam