The effects of lacosamide on cognition, quality-of-life measures, and quality of life in patients with refractory partial epilepsy

Epilepsy Behav. 2016 Aug;61:27-33. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.04.049. Epub 2016 Jun 14.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine cognitive and quality-of-life measures/quality of life outcomes with adjunctive lacosamide therapy in patients with treatment-resistant partial epilepsy.

Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, nonblinded, adjunctive therapy test-retest (within subjects) study of patients with treatment-resistant partial epilepsy in which outcome (cognitive functioning and mood/quality of life) was measured in the same subject before and after adjunctive lacosamide administration for 24weeks. The cognitive assessment included the following: Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Buschke Selective Reminding Test, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, Stroop Color Word Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Digit Span, Digit Cancellation, and Trails A and B. The quality-of-life measures/quality-of-life assessment included the following: Beck Depression Inventory-II, Profile of Mood States, and Quality of Life Inventory-89. Lacosamide was started at 100mg (50mg twice daily) and could be titrated as needed up to 400mg/day (200mg twice daily). Baseline concomitant AEDs were kept constant. Composite scores were calculated for a pre-post difference score for the cognitive and mood/quality-of-life measures separately and used in regression analyses to correct for the effects of age, education, seizure frequency, seizure severity, dose of lacosamide, and number of AEDs at baseline.

Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled (13 males, 21 females). Mean age was 38.8±2.43years. Mean seizure frequency decreased significantly from 2.0±2.55 seizures per week at baseline to 1.02±1.72 seizures per week at posttreatment (t=4.59, p<.0001) with a 50% responder rate seen in 18 patients (52.9%). No significant differences were found on the composite scores of the cognitive or the mood/quality-of-life measures after 6months of lacosamide.

Significance: Lacosamide appeared to have low risks of significant changes in cognition or mood/quality of life. In addition, the present study supports prior studies that have proven lacosamide as an effective adjunctive therapy for the treatment of resistant partial epilepsy.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01175954.

Keywords: Cognition; Lacosamide; Mood/quality of life; Partial-onset epilepsy; Refractory.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Acetamides / adverse effects*
  • Acetamides / therapeutic use*
  • Adult
  • Affect
  • Anticonvulsants / adverse effects*
  • Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
  • Cognition / drug effects*
  • Depression / etiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Drug Resistant Epilepsy / drug therapy*
  • Drug Resistant Epilepsy / psychology*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Epilepsies, Partial / drug therapy*
  • Epilepsies, Partial / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lacosamide
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Seizures / prevention & control
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Acetamides
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Lacosamide

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01175954