Abstracts

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is adversely impacted for many persons with medically intractable epilepsy. A validated inventory (QOLIE-89) has been developed to assess HRQOL in people with epilepsy and is incorporated into many new epilepsy therapy trials as an important measure of outcome., 65 subjects participated in a feasibility investigation of the RNS[trade] neurostimulator. The QOLIE-89 was administered to each subject before implantation of the device and at one year and two years after implantation. Nine self-report domains of health concepts were evaluated. Data for 41 subjects were available for the one-year analysis. For this preliminary analysis, a two-sided paired t-test using a significance threshold of p[lt]0.1 was performed. The correlation between QOLIE scores and reduction in seizure frequency was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and corresponding t-statistic., QOLIE scores for the visit prior to the RNS implant and at one year post-implant were compared. Eight of the nine domains did not change. The energy/fatigue measure showed a trend towards improvement (p[lt]0.09). There was a trend of correspondence (p[lt]0.1) between a decrease in seizures at 12 months with an increase in QOLIE scores for physical function and social function., In this preliminary analysis, self reported HRQOL shows a trend towards improvement at one year in those with reduced seizures. HRQOL scores in this cohort are similar to those reported in patients with medically intractable partial epilepsy[sup1]. Longer follow up may be required to demonstrate HRQOL improvements in association with seizure reduction.
[sup1]Vickery B, Hays RD, Rausch R et al. Quality of life of epilepsy surgery patients compared with outpatients with hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and/or depressive symptoms. Epilepsia 1994; 35(3): 597., (Supported by NeuroPace, Inc. Mountain View, CA. 94043.)