Quality of life and epilepsy: the Liverpool experience

The use of quality of life (QOL) measures in epilepsy research is relatively recent compared with that in other chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. However, in recent years much research has been undertaken to develop and validate QOL measures for use in various groups of people with epilepsy, including children, the elderly, and newly diagnosed patients. QOL measures are now available for use in both clinical trials and primary care. The Liverpool Group is one of the leading research teams in this field and is probably best known for developing the Liverpool Seizure Severity Scale. However, the group has also developed a number of other QOL measures, with an emphasis on keeping the measures appropriate, practical, and responsive, and always considering the burden to patients. This review describes some of the measures the Liverpool Group has developed, outlines their application in clinical trials of a number of aspects of antiepileptic drugs, and details the importance of some of the findings. The diversity of the group's approach and of its involvement in assessing the QOL of people with epilepsy are emphasized.