QUALITY OF LIFE IN EPILEPSY PATIENTS RECEIVING POLYTHERAPY

Akdağ G., Çakmakçı G., Akkoyun Arıkan F., Çetiner M., Canbaz Kabay S.

16th European Epilepsy Congress, Athens, Yunanistan, 5 - 09 Eylül 2026, ss.668, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Athens
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Yunanistan
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.668
  • Kütahya Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Purpose: Quality of life (QoL) in epilepsy is often impaired by seizures and anti-seizure medications (ASMs). Somnolence is a common ASM side effect, and sleep disorders like insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are prevalent. We aimed to investigate the effect of polytherapy on sleep disorders and QoL in patients with epilepsy.

Method: We included consenting adults (>18 years) followed in our epilepsy clinic for >6 months. Exclusions were known sleep disorders, shift work, non-ASM medications, other chronic diseases, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), and pregnancy/lactation. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Patients completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-10), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results: Sixty-three patients were included (39 female; mean age 33.2±14.3 years). Mean epilepsy duration was 12.2±14.4 years. Seizure types included 69.8% generalized, 12% focal, and 7% unknown onset. Etiologies were unknown (39.7%), structural (28.6%), genetic (23.8%), metabolic (6.3%), and immune (1.6%). Forty-six patients (73%) were on monotherapy; 17 on polytherapy. Eight (12.7%) had drug-resistant epilepsy. The polytherapy group showed statistically higher median values for QOLIE-10 general score, epilepsy effect, and role functioning domains compared to monotherapy. No significant differences were found between groups regarding insomnia, EDS, sleep quality, or BDI scores.

Conclusion: Although sleep disorders were not more prevalent in patients receiving polytherapy, their QoL was worse. Study limitations included a small polytherapy sample and lack of objective sleep testing. Questioning sleep disorders and avoiding unnecessary polytherapy remain crucial for optimizing seizure control and QoL.