Effects on executive functions of antiepileptic monotherapy in pediatric age. 2020

Francesca Felicia Operto, and Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino, and Roberta Mazza, and Marco Carotenuto, and Michele Roccella, and Rosa Marotta, and Carlo di Bonaventura, and Alberto Verrotti
Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: opertofrancesca@gmail.com.

Cognitive abilities and executive functions in children and adolescents are important indicators of quality of life as well as academic and social achievements. Cognitive and executive functioning are often impaired in patients with epilepsy and can be exacerbated by seizures and antiseizure drugs. The aim of our observational retrospective study was to assess executive functioning in patients with pediatric epilepsy, currently taking a single antiseizure medication. Records of 172 children and adolescents aged between 6 and 18 years (mean age = 12 ± 3.4 years) with newly diagnosed epilepsy who had not yet commenced an antiepileptic treatment were included in the study. Longitudinal changes in executive functioning were assessed using the EpiTrack Junior test at baseline, before the introduction of antiepileptic monotherapy, and at 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month follow-up visits. All patients commenced a single antiepileptic treatment (levetiracetam n = 54; valproic acid n = 52; ethosuximide n = 20; oxcarbazepine n = 22; carbamazepine n = 24). Age, sex, seizure types, and seizure baseline frequency were also recorded. Relative to baseline, Epitrack Junior mean scores deteriorated at the 9-month follow-up visit for patients taking valproic acid, ethosuximide, and carbamazepine, but this was only statistically significant for patients taking carbamazepine. In contrast, mean scores improved for subjects taking levetiracetam and oxcarbazepine at the 9-month follow-up visit relative to baseline, but this was only statistically significant for patients taking levetiracetam. Levetiracetam was the only antiseizure medication that led to slight improvements in executive functioning; whereas carbamazepine led to deteriorations in cognitive functioning. Further research using double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011788 Quality of Life A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease. HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D002220 Carbamazepine A dibenzazepine that acts as a sodium channel blocker. It is used as an anticonvulsant for the treatment of grand mal and psychomotor or focal SEIZURES. It may also be used in the management of BIPOLAR DISORDER, and has analgesic properties. Amizepine,Carbamazepine Acetate,Carbamazepine Anhydrous,Carbamazepine Dihydrate,Carbamazepine Hydrochloride,Carbamazepine L-Tartrate (4:1),Carbamazepine Phosphate,Carbamazepine Sulfate (2:1),Carbazepin,Epitol,Finlepsin,Neurotol,Tegretol
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004827 Epilepsy A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313) Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000077287 Levetiracetam A pyrrolidinone and acetamide derivative that is used primarily for the treatment of SEIZURES and some movement disorders, and as a nootropic agent. Etiracetam,Etiracetam, (R)-,Etiracetam, R-isomer,Etiracetam, S-isomer,Keppra,UCB 6474,UCB-6474,Ucb L059,Ucb L060,Ucb-L059,Ucb-L060,alpha-ethyl-2-oxo-1-Pyrrolidineacetamide,Etiracetam, R isomer,Etiracetam, S isomer,R-isomer Etiracetam,S-isomer Etiracetam,UCB6474,UcbL060,alpha ethyl 2 oxo 1 Pyrrolidineacetamide
D000078330 Oxcarbazepine A carbamazepine derivative that acts as a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker. It is used for the treatment of PARTIAL SEIZURES with or without secondary generalization. It is also an inducer of CYTOCHROME P-450 CYP3A4. 10,11-Dihydro-10-oxo-5H-dibenz(b,f)azepine-5-carboxamide,GP 47680,Timox,Trileptal
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths

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