Abstracts

To provide a patients[apos] perspective on the cognitive side effects of anti-epileptic drug (AED) treatment and the consequences for quality of life. A nine-item questionnaire comprising a combination of forced-choice and open-ended questions was distributed to 4,500 members of nine chapters of the International Bureau for Epilepsy (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, Norway and Scotland). Data analysis was performed on 837 completed questionnaires. The average age of respondents was 40 years, 54% were female and 95% were taking medication for their seizures (60% polytherapy vs 39% monotherapy). Average length of time on treatment was 18.07 years ([plusmn] 18.07).
Indicators of cognitive impairment considered to be affected [apos]very much[apos] or [apos]moderately[apos] included sleepiness / tiredness (57%), slowness of thought (42%) and difficulties learning something new (41%). Two thirds stated that cognitive impairment was related to their condition or AED therapy, with 41% attributing impairment to their AED therapy alone. More than half (59%) stated that cognitive impairment had prevented them from achieving a goal and approximately 50% reported that their quality of life had been affected including: work (48%), education (46%), relationships (48%) and leisure pursuits (44%). When asked what side effects they would most like to avoid, respondents reported indicators of cognitive impairment most frequently, including sleepiness / tiredness (35%), memory problems (19%), lethargy / sluggishness (9%) and difficulty paying attention (8%). Insights gained from this survey highlight the debilitating effect of cognitive impairment on individuals with epilepsy and the importance ascribed to minimising cognitive side effects of AEDs. (Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from UCB.)