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Self-reported aggressiveness during treatment with levetiracetam correlates with depression
Marco Mula1, Niruj Agrawal2, Zainab Mustafa3
1Epilepsy Group, Atkinson Morley Regional Neuroscience Centre, St George's Hospital, London, UK; Institute of Medical and Biomedical Sciences, St George's University of London, UK.
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.
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