QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY 
- SINGLE CENTRE EXPERIENCE

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Clinical Psychiatry
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Epilepsy significantly impacts patients' overall well-being.
• Understanding factors influencing quality of life (QoL) in epilepsy is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
• Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), depressive symptoms, and sexual dysfunction (SD) are potential contributors to reduced QoL.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between epilepsy, AEDs, and QoL in patients with epilepsy (PE).
• To assess the association of QoL with depressive symptoms and SD.
• To investigate the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on QoL in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE).

Main Methods:

• Prospective study at Zagreb University Hospital Centre.
• 108 PE assessed using Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 Inventory (QOLIE-31), Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17).
• Analysis included epilepsy type, AED usage, and VNS implantation status.

Main Results:

• Overall QoL was lower in the 35-55 age group compared to <35.
• Patients on polytherapy (both types of AEDs) reported significantly lower QoL than those on newer AEDs.
• Higher QoL correlated with fewer depressive symptoms (p=0.000) and less SD (p=0.001).
• VNS implantation in DRE patients showed a favorable effect on QoL and mood compared to non-VNS patients (p=0.041).

Conclusions:

• QoL in epilepsy patients is multifactorial, influenced by AEDs, depression, and sexual dysfunction.
• Depressive symptoms and sexual dysfunction are significant negative correlates of QoL.
• VNS may be a beneficial therapeutic option for improving QoL in select DRE patients.