Quality of Life Improvements Reported in Those with Focal Seizures Treated with Eslicarbazepine

According to data presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2023 Annual Meeting, patients with focal seizures treated with eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) for up to 1 year experienced improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), including overall quality of life and outcomes related to social functioning, medication effects, and seizure worry.

Data analysis was performed on the pooled results from 3 randomized clinical trials documenting HRQOL outcomes associated with treatment with ESL for focal seizures. Patients were invited to enter a 1-year open-label extension (OLE) trial following a double-blind study, beginning immediately after a maintenance period or a 4-week taper period. In the OLE trial, participants were started on ESL at 400 mg/d or 800 mg/d and then titrated in 400 mg increments to a maximum dose of 1600 mg/d.

In all, 677/959 completed the OLE trial. HRQOL was measured at baseline and final assessment using the QOLIE-31 (Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory), and mean QOLIE-31 scores and mean change in scores were analyzed using a t-test. Those who completed the OLE trial reported significant mean improvements in all categories, ranging from +2.16 in cognitive functioning to +6.58 in seizure worry.