Antiepileptic drugs and quality of life in the elderly: results from a randomized double-blind trial of carbamazepine and lamotrigine in patients with onset of epilepsy in old age.
During an international double-blind trial evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of lamotrigine and carbamazepine in patients aged >or=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.
Department of Neuro Habilitation, Oslo University Hospital Ullevaal, 0407 Oslo, Norway. erik.saetre@ulleval.no
Erik
E
Saetre
Michael
M
Abdelnoor
Emilio
E
Perucca
Erik
E
Taubøll
Jouko
J
Isojärvi
Leif
L
Gjerstad
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D002220:Carbamazepine; D000077213:Lamotrigine