A prospective study was carried out at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre to evaluate the relationship between epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with ...epilepsy (PE), and its association with depressive symptoms and sexual dysfunction (SD). QoL was assessed by use of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Inventory (QOLIE-31), SD by the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), and depressive symptoms by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17). The study included 108 PE (women 63% and men 37% men), mean age 39.54±15.91 years. Focal type epilepsy was diagnosed in 14.8%, generalized type in 35.2%, and both types were present in 40.7% of study patients. Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) was present in 44/108 and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was implanted in 27/44 patients. The mean response on QOLIE-31 was 62.88±17.21 with no significant differences according to gender, type of epilepsy, and age. A statistically significantly lower QoL was found in the ‘Overall QoL’ domain (35-55
vs
. <35 age group). Patients taking both types of AEDs had a significantly lower QoL compared to those on newer types of AEDs. Higher QoL was associated with less pronounced depressive symptoms (p=0.000). Significant correlations were found between lower QoL and SD (p=0.001). In 27 patients with DRE having undergone VNS, a favorable effect of VNS implantation on the QoL and mood was observed as compared with 18 patients without VNS (p=0.041).
Provedeno je prospektivno istraživanje u KBC-u Zagreb s ciljem procjene povezanosti epilepsije, antiepileptičkih lijekova
(antiepileptic drug, AED) i kvalitete života (quality of life, QoL) u ...bolesnika s epilepsijom, kao i učestalosti depresije i
seksualne disfunkcije (SD). QOLIE-31 (Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Inventory) je primijenjen za procjenu QoL-a, ASEX
(Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale) za SD i HAM-D17 (Hamilton Rating Scale) za depresiju. Uključeno je 108 bolesnika s
epilepsijom (63% žena, 37% muškaraca; srednja dob 39,54±15,91 godina). Žarišnu epilepsiju imalo je 14,8% i generaliziranu
35,2% bolesnika, dok je obje vrste epilepsije imalo 40,7% bolesnika. Farmakorezistentnu epilepsiju (drug-resistant epilepsy,
DRE) imalo je 44/108 bolesnika, a kod njih 27/44 ugrađen je stimulator vagusnog živca (vagus nerve stimulation, VNS).
Srednji odgovor na QOLIE-31 bio je 62,88±7,21 bez značajnih razlika u odnosu na spol, vrstu epilepsije i dob. Statistički
značajno niži QoL nađen je u domeni ‘Sveukupni QoL’ (dobna skupina 35-55 godina u odnosu na dobnu skupinu <35).
Bolesnici koji su uzimali obje vrste AED imali su značajno niži QoL u usporedbi s onima na novijim AED. Viši QoL bio je
povezan s manje izraženim simptomima depresije (p=0,000). Pronađene su značajne korelacije između nižeg QoL-a i SD
(p=0,001). U bolesnika s DRE utvrđen je pozitivan utjecaj ugradnje VNS-a na QoL i raspoloženje (27 bolesnika s VNS-om
u usporedbi s 18 bolesnika bez VNS-a, p=0,041).
