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The Short‐Term Impact of Adjunctive Tiagabine on Health‐Related Quality of Life
Author(s) -
Cramer Joyce,
Ryan Joan,
Chang Joanne,
Sommerville Kenneth
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2001.01018.x
Subject(s) - tiagabine , carbamazepine , quality of life (healthcare) , adverse effect , epilepsy , randomized controlled trial , medicine , psychology , adjunctive treatment , anticonvulsant , phenytoin , psychiatry , nursing
Summary: Combinations of tiagabine (TGB), carbamazepine (CBZ), and phenytoin (PHT) were compared for their impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and adverse effects related to treatment efficacy for people with frequent complex partial seizures. Two independent, randomized, double‐blind clinical trials for efficacy and safety were conducted simultaneously with treatment groups: CBZ+PHT versus CBZ+TGB, and PHT+CBZ versus PHT+TGB. Treatment was initiated at week 0 and continued through week 16. HRQOL was evaluated with the QOLIE‐89. Treatment success was defined as ≥50% reduction in complex partial seizures. Among patients who achieved a ≥50% reduction in seizures, addition of TGB to baseline PHT enhanced patient perceptions of attention/concentration (13%; p = 0.002), memory (17%; p = 0.042), and language subscales (22%; p = 0.004). Addition of CBZ to PHT led to positive change in the work/driving/social relations subscale (14%; p = 0.004). These improvements were significantly different only between visits, not between the two treatment groups. Seizure worry subscale scores showed improvement among all treatment groups and was probably related to participation in the clinical trial. These exploratory analyses suggest a possible early positive effect of TGB on patient‐perceived cognitive domains using the QOLIE‐89. These findings are limited by the small sample size and could be related to reduction in seizures.