title: One-year seizure prognosis in epilepsy patients treated with antidepressants.
abstract: To investigate the clinical effects of antidepressants on seizure frequency of patients with epilepsy treated with antiepileptic drugs, we retrospectively evaluated the 1-year course of seizure frequency. One hundred twenty-one patients with epilepsy treated with antidepressants and 300 patients with epilepsy not treated with antidepressants (controls) were the subjects of this study. Seizure frequency over the 1-year period of administration of antidepressants was retrospectively evaluated and compared with that for controls. In the patients with epilepsy taking antidepressants, seizure frequencies at four observation points (1, 3, 6, and 12 months after starting antidepressants) were equivalent to those of the control group. There was no significant difference in seizure frequency between first- and second-generation antidepressants. Patients with epilepsy treated with antiepileptic drugs can take antidepressants without a significant risk of exacerbation of seizures. Most antidepressants can be used for psychiatric treatment of patients with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan. okazakim@ncnp.go.jp
authors.forename: Mitsutoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Teiichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onuma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents