Neuroscience
Frings L, Wagner K, Maiwald T, Carius A, Schinkel A, Lehmann C, & Schulze-Bonhage A. Early detection of behavioral side effects of antiepileptic treatment using handheld computers. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2008 Aug; 13(2) :402-406.
Epilepsy Center, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
OBJECTIVE: Treatment-emergent side effects are frequent events, particularly during the uptitration of antiepileptic drugs. So far, monitoring of such adverse events in outpatients has often been limited to intervals of weeks or months. We here report the application of a new device for temporally fine-grained assessment of objective well-being and cognitive performance using personal digital assistants (PDAs). METHODS: Twenty adult patients with epilepsy participated in this pilot study. Ten received add-on treatment with levetiracetam. Ten patients with constant medication served as a control group. Differences between groups with respect to self-rated cognitive condition, psychophysical condition, aggressiveness, and cognitive test performance in a concentration test assessed three times daily (morning, early afternoon, and evening), over the course of 6 days, were analyzed. RESULTS: Levetiracetam-treated patients manifested an early augmentation of self-rated aggressiveness, which increased in intensity over the course of days. Aggressiveness reached a maximum in the early afternoon across days. There were no major changes in cognitive performance, except for an increase in morning performance in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of a new method of ambulatory assessment of behavioral and cognitive data during titration of antiepileptic drugs. Significant changes in aggressiveness under add-on treatment with levetiracetam were found to be dependent on the time of assessment during the day. These results suggest that PDA-based ambulatory monitoring of patients with epilepsy may be a promising tool for early detection of drug-related side effects and, thus, may constitute a significant improvement in patient care.
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Epilepsy
The cognitive impact of antiepileptic drugs Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2011 Nov; 4(6): 385-407 Eddy CM, Rickards HE, Cavanna AE Abstract Effective treatment of epilepsy depends on medication compliance across a lifetime, and studies indicate that drug tolerability...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Epilepsy
Meador KJ, Gevins A, Loring DW, McEvoy LK, Ray PG, Smith ME, Motamedi GK, Evans BM, & Baum C. Neuropsychological and neurophysiologic effects of carbamazepine and levetiracetam. Neurology. 2007 Nov 27; 69(22): 2076-2084. Department of Neurology, University...
- Abstract Of The Day: Quality Of Life (qol) Measurement In Epilepsy
von Lehe M, Lutz M, Kral T, Schramm J, Elger CE, & Clusmann H. Correlation of health-related quality of life after surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with two seizure outcome scales. Epilepsy and Behavior 2006 Aug; 9(1): 73-82. Department of Neurosurgery,...
- Abstract Of The Day: Patient-reported Outcomes (pros)
Werz MA, Schoenberg MR, Meador KJ, Loring DW, Ray PG, Kaul-Gupta R, & Ogrocki P. Subjective preference for lamotrigine or topiramate in healthy volunteers: Relationship to cognitive and behavioral functioning. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2005 Dec 21; [Epub...
- Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures
The 01 September 2005 issue of the journal American Family Physician has an overview directed toward general practitioners, internists, and family-practice docs on the topic of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, explaining what they are, how they can...
Neuroscience
Neuropsychology Abstract of the Day: Epilepsy
Frings L, Wagner K, Maiwald T, Carius A, Schinkel A, Lehmann C, & Schulze-Bonhage A. Early detection of behavioral side effects of antiepileptic treatment using handheld computers. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2008 Aug; 13(2) :402-406.
Epilepsy Center, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
OBJECTIVE: Treatment-emergent side effects are frequent events, particularly during the uptitration of antiepileptic drugs. So far, monitoring of such adverse events in outpatients has often been limited to intervals of weeks or months. We here report the application of a new device for temporally fine-grained assessment of objective well-being and cognitive performance using personal digital assistants (PDAs). METHODS: Twenty adult patients with epilepsy participated in this pilot study. Ten received add-on treatment with levetiracetam. Ten patients with constant medication served as a control group. Differences between groups with respect to self-rated cognitive condition, psychophysical condition, aggressiveness, and cognitive test performance in a concentration test assessed three times daily (morning, early afternoon, and evening), over the course of 6 days, were analyzed. RESULTS: Levetiracetam-treated patients manifested an early augmentation of self-rated aggressiveness, which increased in intensity over the course of days. Aggressiveness reached a maximum in the early afternoon across days. There were no major changes in cognitive performance, except for an increase in morning performance in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of a new method of ambulatory assessment of behavioral and cognitive data during titration of antiepileptic drugs. Significant changes in aggressiveness under add-on treatment with levetiracetam were found to be dependent on the time of assessment during the day. These results suggest that PDA-based ambulatory monitoring of patients with epilepsy may be a promising tool for early detection of drug-related side effects and, thus, may constitute a significant improvement in patient care.
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Epilepsy
The cognitive impact of antiepileptic drugs Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2011 Nov; 4(6): 385-407 Eddy CM, Rickards HE, Cavanna AE Abstract Effective treatment of epilepsy depends on medication compliance across a lifetime, and studies indicate that drug tolerability...
- Neuropsychology Abstract Of The Day: Epilepsy
Meador KJ, Gevins A, Loring DW, McEvoy LK, Ray PG, Smith ME, Motamedi GK, Evans BM, & Baum C. Neuropsychological and neurophysiologic effects of carbamazepine and levetiracetam. Neurology. 2007 Nov 27; 69(22): 2076-2084. Department of Neurology, University...
- Abstract Of The Day: Quality Of Life (qol) Measurement In Epilepsy
von Lehe M, Lutz M, Kral T, Schramm J, Elger CE, & Clusmann H. Correlation of health-related quality of life after surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with two seizure outcome scales. Epilepsy and Behavior 2006 Aug; 9(1): 73-82. Department of Neurosurgery,...
- Abstract Of The Day: Patient-reported Outcomes (pros)
Werz MA, Schoenberg MR, Meador KJ, Loring DW, Ray PG, Kaul-Gupta R, & Ogrocki P. Subjective preference for lamotrigine or topiramate in healthy volunteers: Relationship to cognitive and behavioral functioning. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2005 Dec 21; [Epub...
- Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures
The 01 September 2005 issue of the journal American Family Physician has an overview directed toward general practitioners, internists, and family-practice docs on the topic of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, explaining what they are, how they can...