Haroon Rashid

and 3 more

Purpose: Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are associated with a variety of adverse events (AEs) that have a significant detrimental impact on quality of life and treatment adherence. The aim of the study was to identify and quantify the AEs of ASMs in persons with epilepsy (PWE) using Liverpool Adverse Events Profile (LAEP), and to determine the feasibility of LAEP for predicting depression in PWE. Methods: After ethical clearance, 309 PWE above 18 years of age, on ASMs, attending epilepsy clinic in neurology outpatient department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, were recruited and evaluated for depression using different assessment tools, and LAEP screening tool was used for adverse event profiling. Results: The mean LAEP scores in PWE were 28.2±6.2 and ranged from 19 to 49. Only 16 PWE had LAEP score ≥45 i.e. had high toxicity. Phenytoin had the highest LEAP score, followed by carbamazepine, levetiracetam, and sodium valproate. As compared to monotherapy, PWE on polytherapy had higher LAEP score (26.7±5.9 vs. 29.03±6.3; p=0.0013). Subjects positive for depression had significantly higher LAEP score than PWE without depression (33.5±6.2 vs. 24.7±3.1; p<0.0001). A strong positive correlation of the LAEP score was observed with depression scores as assessed by different assessment tools, and a LAEP score of ≥28 was recommended to screen PWE for depression. Conclusion: The systematic use of LAEP in epilepsy outpatient settings will allow for better detection and management of ASM’s adverse effects, as well as the identification of PWE at risk of depression.