A PROSPECTIVE OUTPATIENT STUDY OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY (TLE) AND JUVENILE MYOCLONIC EPILEPSY (JME)
Abstract number :
1.270
Submission category :
Year :
2002
Submission ID :
3450
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/7/2002 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Dec 1, 2002, 06:00 AM
Authors :
Michael Yerukhimovich, Pamela A. Lang, Barbara E. Swartz. Undergraduate Division, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH; Neurology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH; Neurology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
RATIONALE: Most quality of life (QOL) studies deal with an undifferentiated outpatient epilepsy group or with pre- and post-surgical outcomes. We initiated this study to determine if differences in QOL exist between types of epilepsy in an outpatient setting.
METHODS: The QOLIE-10 (QOL-in epilepsy - 10 item) was given to all out-patients to complete at the initial and subsequent visits, typically every three months (Cramer, et al. Epilepsia,2000; 41(1):29-38). Patients with JME or TLE were then analyzed at the first and subsequent visits. We made scatter plots for each of the 10 domains as well as the total score, over time and plotted the mean score by group for each domain. We hypothesized that the QOLIE scores would improve with time and that the JME would have lower scores (beter QOL)than the TLE. The clinical diagnosis was made based on the history, EEG, seizure semiology, and MRI.
RESULTS: The duration of follow-up from the initial visit ranged from 200-800 days, for 3-8 visits in both groups. There were 33 subjects in the JME group and 98 in the TLE group. The scatter plots showed no signifcant correlation with time for the individual domains in either group, although there was a trend for mental effects of medication to decrease in JME patients and physical effects of medications to decrease in TLE patients. The highest score in the JME group was for overall QOL (2.4 +/- .86). For the TLE subjects the highest score was in Fear (of Seizures 2.89 +/- 1.21) with Memory close behind (2.62 +/- 1.0). Across the total period of evaluation, the domains differing significantly (p [lte] .05) between the groups included: Driving (1.17-JME, 1.89-TLE), Memory (1.82-TLE, 2.62-TLE), Work (1.50-JME,2.25-TLE), and Social (1.72-JME, 2.27-TLE). The total QOLIE-10 score trended to a significant difference (JME-19.3, TLE-22.7; p = .06).
CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life did not significantly change over the time period of this study (1-3 years) in either TLE or JME subjects. In general, the TLE subjects endorse a lower quality of life than the JME subjects, with driving, memory, work, and social issues being the worst areas of function. Further evaluation of the relationship of trends in QOL to antiepileptic medication changes and seizure frequency will be made.