Adherence to treatment in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: correlation with quality of life and adverse effects of medication

PURPOSE: To study the adherence to clinical treatment in patients with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) and its correlation to Quality of Life (QOL) scores, and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) adverse effects. METHODS: Forty-three JME (ILAE,1989) outpatients in regular treatment were evaluated by clinical anamnesis and EEG/video-EEG at Hospital São Paulo, UNIFESP, Brazil. They answered a self-report questionnaire assessing adherence to treatment (scores 0 to 100), with higher scores meaning poorer adherence; Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QOLIE-31) Brazilian validated version (scores 0 to 100), and the Adverse Events Profile (AEP), scores 19 to 76, in which scores ≥45 indicate toxicity; values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (37,2%) were on monotherapy, while 26 (60.4%) on polytherapy. Twenty-two (48%) had experienced a seizure in the preceding three months of the survey. Mean adherence to treatment score was 68.5. AEP scores ≤45 were observed in 38 (88.3%), and 29 (67.4%) reported spontaneous adverse effects with AEDs. The most common adverse effects were sleepiness in 11(13.8%), and restlessness in 7(8.8%).QOLIE-31 highest mean score was 79.0 (Social Function), and the lowest 33.0 (Seizure Worry). Adherence to treatment presented good correlation to better QOL scores (Pearson<0.05), while higher AEP scores indicated poorer adherence (Pearson<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to treatment showed high correlation to better QOL. The presence of adverse effects was negatively associated with adherence.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Martins,Heloise Helena, Alonso,Neide Barreira, Guilhoto,Laura Maria F. Ferreira, Guaranha,Mirian S. Bittar, Yacubian,Elza Márcia Targas
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Liga Brasileira de Epilepsia (LBE) 2009
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-26492009000400010
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