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Multicenter Study
. 2021 May;153(1):89-98.
doi: 10.1007/s11060-021-03747-1. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Effect of antiepileptic drugs in glioma patients on self-reported depression, anxiety, and cognitive complaints

Pim B van der Meer  1 , Johan A F Koekkoek  2   3 , Martin J van den Bent  4 , Linda Dirven  2   3 , Martin J B Taphoorn  2   3
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Effect of antiepileptic drugs in glioma patients on self-reported depression, anxiety, and cognitive complaints

Pim B van der Meer et al. J Neurooncol. 2021 May.

Abstract

Introduction: AEDs have been associated with depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, all frequent complications of glioma and its subsequent treatment, with considerable morbidity and an adverse effect on health-related quality of life. This study aimed to determine the independent association between AED use and self-reported depression, anxiety, and subjective cognitive impairment in glioma patients.

Methods: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, depression and anxiety were assessed with the HADS and subjective cognitive impairment was assessed with the MOS-CFS. Univariable logistic regression analyses were performed on all potential confounding predictor variables. Potential confounders were included in the multivariable analyses if p-value < 0.1, to evaluate whether use of AEDs was independently related to depression, anxiety, and/or subjective cognitive impairment.

Results: A total of 272 patients were included. Prevalence of depression differed significantly between patients not using (10%) and using AEDs (21%, unadjusted Odds Ratio [uOR] = 2.29 [95%CI 1.05-4.97], p = 0.037), but after correction for confounders the statistical significant difference was no longer apparent (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 1.94 [95%CI 0.83-4.50], p = 0.125). Prevalences of anxiety (aOR = 1.17 [95%CI 0.59-2.29], p = 0.659) and subjective cognitive impairment (aOR = 0.83 [95%CI 0.34-2.04], p = 0.684) did not differ significantly before or after adjustment of confounders between patients not using (19% and 16%, respectively) and using AEDs (26% and 21%, respectively).

Conclusions: Our results indicate AED use was not independently associated with concurrent depression, anxiety, or subjective cognitive impairment in glioma patients. Alternative factors seem to have a greater contribution to the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms in glioma patients.

Keywords: Anticonvulsants; Anxiety; Cognition; Depression; Glioma; Seizures.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no competing interests.

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