Self-reported aggressiveness during treatment with levetiracetam correlates with depression
- PMID: 25845494
- DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.03.018
Self-reported aggressiveness during treatment with levetiracetam correlates with depression
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify clinical correlates of self-reported aggressiveness (SRA) in patients with epilepsy treated with levetiracetam (LEV) with special reference to the role of depression.
Methods: A consecutive sample of adult outpatients with epilepsy was assessed with the Neurological Disorder Depression Inventory for Epilepsy, the Adverse Event Profile (AEP), and the Emotional Thermometer.
Results: From a total sample of 163 consecutive patients treated with LEV, SRA at any level (from rarely a problem to always) was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of being depressed (95% CI: 3.0-17.5; p<0.001). Self-reported aggressiveness was reported as "always" a problem by 9.8% of the patients. In these patients, apart from depression, SRA was associated with high AEP total scores (55.1 vs. 39.3; p<0.001) and polytherapy (43.8% vs. 19.8%; p=0.034). Anxiety scores were not elevated (4.9 vs. 3.6; p=0.183).
Conclusions: Self-reported aggressiveness during treatment with LEV is not an isolated symptom but is associated with depressed mood. Anxiety-mediated mechanisms do not seem to be involved.
Keywords: Adverse events; Aggressive behavior; Aggressiveness; Antiepileptic drugs; Depression; Epilepsy; Levetiracetam.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Fatigue during treatment with antiepileptic drugs: A levetiracetam-specific adverse event?Epilepsy Behav. 2017 Jul;72:17-21. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.04.030. Epub 2017 May 29. Epilepsy Behav. 2017. PMID: 28570963
-
Long-term effects of levetiracetam and topiramate in clinical practice: A head-to-head comparison.Seizure. 2008 Jan;17(1):19-26. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2007.05.019. Epub 2007 Jul 6. Seizure. 2008. PMID: 17618131
-
Aggressive behavior of epilepsy patients in the course of levetiracetam add-on therapy: report of 33 mild to severe cases.Epilepsy Behav. 2003 Oct;4(5):537-47. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2003.07.008. Epilepsy Behav. 2003. PMID: 14527496
-
Role of levetiracetam in the treatment of epilepsy.Epileptic Disord. 2003 May;5 Suppl 1:S65-72. Epileptic Disord. 2003. PMID: 12915344 Review.
-
Safety profile of levetiracetam.Epileptic Disord. 2003 May;5 Suppl 1:S57-63. Epileptic Disord. 2003. PMID: 12915343 Review.
Cited by
-
Mechanisms Underlying Aggressive Behavior Induced by Antiepileptic Drugs: Focus on Topiramate, Levetiracetam, and Perampanel.Behav Neurol. 2018 Nov 15;2018:2064027. doi: 10.1155/2018/2064027. eCollection 2018. Behav Neurol. 2018. PMID: 30581496 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Brain tumor location influences the onset of acute psychiatric adverse events of levetiracetam therapy: an observational study.J Neurol. 2017 May;264(5):921-927. doi: 10.1007/s00415-017-8463-6. Epub 2017 Mar 18. J Neurol. 2017. PMID: 28315958
-
The Elephant in the Room: Suicide in Patients With Epilepsy.Epilepsy Curr. 2016 May-Jun;16(3):137-8. doi: 10.5698/1535-7511-16.3.137. Epilepsy Curr. 2016. PMID: 27330432 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
-
HLA-A*11:01 is associated with levetiracetam-induced psychiatric adverse events.PLoS One. 2018 Jul 18;13(7):e0200812. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200812. eCollection 2018. PLoS One. 2018. PMID: 30020991 Free PMC article.
-
Epilepsy, Antiepileptic Drugs, and Aggression: An Evidence-Based Review.Pharmacol Rev. 2016 Jul;68(3):563-602. doi: 10.1124/pr.115.012021. Pharmacol Rev. 2016. PMID: 27255267 Free PMC article. Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
