REDUCTION OF DISTRESS, EVOLUTION IN PATIENT-RATED PRIORITIES AND IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE DURING LEVETIRACETAM TREATMENT
Abstract number :
1.372
Submission category :
Year :
2003
Submission ID :
3799
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/6/2003 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2003, 06:00 AM
Authors :
Joyce A. Cramer, Genevi[egrave]ve Van Hammée, Roy Beran Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Yale University School of Medecine, New Haven, CT; Clinical Epidemiology and Outcomes Research, R&D, UCB Pharma SA, Braine-l[apos]Alleud, Belgium; Department o
To investigate the short-term effect of levetiracetam (LEV) on distress, prioritization of QOLIE-31-P domains and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with refractory partial-onset seizures.
Patients with uncontrolled partial seizures were enrolled in an open-label clinical trial, with LEV as adjunctive therapy. The QOLIE-31-P questionnaire was completed by 99 patients at the end of an 8-week baseline period and after a 16-week treatment period. Patients rated their level of distress associated with each QOLIE-31-P domain at baseline and at the end of treatment period. Comparison of scores (scale: 0-100) was performed by paired t-test. Domains were ranked in order of importance before and after LEV therapy based on patient-rated-priorities.
After 16 weeks of LEV adjunctive therapy, all QOLIE-31-P domains improved, except medication effects. A statistically significant improvement was observed in the total score 3.2 (p=0.017), the health status item 6.6 (p=0.001), and two domains: overall QOL 5.6 (p=0.009) and social function 7.6 (p=0.002). The energy/fatigue subscale also shows a trend towards improvement 3.7 (p= 0.07). All distress scores associated with the QOLIE-31-P domains decreased between baseline and follow-up: seizure worry [ndash]8.1 (p=0.011), overall QOL [ndash]2.1 (ns), emotional well-being [ndash]2.8 (ns), energy/fatigue [ndash]7.4 (ns ), cognitive functioning [ndash]2.3 (ns), medication effects [ndash]0.3 (ns), social function [ndash]6.6 (p=0.025) and overall distress [ndash]4.3 (p=0.030). Domains ranked as the most important at baseline were social function, seizure worry, overall QOL and cognitive functioning. At follow-up, overall QOL, social function and cognitive functioning were still ranked among the most important domains whereas seizure worry moved from rank 2 to 6.
Improvement in HRQOL was associated with a reduction of related distress. The diminished importance of [lsquo]seizure worry[rsquo] suggests confidence in LEV efficacy. Significant changes were observed among domains ranked as the most important to patients after a 16-week LEV therapy.