Recent Advances in Patient Treatment and Care (Track)




Anticonvulsant plasma concentration impact on seizure control, life quality and drug adverse events in teenagers and adult youths with epilepsy

Mihajlo B. Jakovljevic
Pharmacology Dept., Medical Faculty, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia

Abstract:

AIM : To investigate whether a correlation exists between steady-state serum concentration of valproic acid and seizure control, adverse drug reactions occurrence and quality of life in teenage and young adult patients with epilepsy.

METHODOLOGY:   21 teenage and 12 adult patients with epilepsy, treated with valproic acid for more than 6 months entered the study.  On two occasions, 3 months apart, both through and 2-h-after-the-dose serum concentrations of valproic acid were measured, as well as quality of life, using QOLIE-AD-48 for teenagers and QOLIE -31 for adults . Adverse drug reactions were monitored through patient center questionnaire.  Treatment efficiency was assessed through seizure diary.

RESULTS: Significant inverse correlation between through serum concentrations of valproic acid and total QOLIE-AD-48 scores ; significant direct  correlation between through serum concentrations and adverse drug reactions frequency. Scores of memory/concentration and physical functioning QOLIEAD-48 domains significantly inversely correlated with through serum concentrations. Similar dose – response relationship at adult subpopulation couldn’t be proved.

CONCLUSION: Through plasma values tend to be more clinically indicative than the peak ones. Therapeutic monitoring of valproic acid serum concentrations could be predictor of most important epilepsy treatment outcome - quality of life. Individual dosing adjustment could help improve tolerability and efficiency.

KEY WORDS: Drug plasma concentration, valproic acid, epilepsy, seizure control, adverse events, life quality.