Title:Association between Frequency of Seizures and Number of Antiseizure Medications (ASM) in Patients with Epilepsy
Volume: 23
Issue: 12
Author(s): Glória Maria de Almeida Souza Tedrus, Michele Novaes Ravelli, Giovanna Gigolotti Jacober de Moraes and Vania Aparecida Leandro-Merhi*
Affiliation:
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, PUC-Campinas, SP, Brazil
Keywords:
Albumin, transferrin, seizure control, epilepsy patients, antiseizure medications (ASM), electroencephalogram.
Abstract: The literature has shown the relevance of nutritional and metabolic aspects in patients
with epilepsy. This study evaluated the relationship between clinical variables and plasma proteins
and compared the variables between seizure frequency and neurological examination. A pilot study
was carried out with eighty-four (n = 84) adults patients with epilepsy. The relationship between
clinical variables of the disease (age at disease onset, neurological examination, current type and
frequency of seizures, duration of disease, amount of antiseizure medications-ASM used and type
and etiology of epilepsy) and plasma proteins (albumin and transferrin) was investigated. In the statistical
analysis, the chi-square, Fisher, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman coefficient
and univariate logistic regression were used. There was a significant association between the use of
antiseizure medications (ASM) (p = 0.0105) and altered neurological examination (p = 0.0049),
compared with the frequency of seizures, and between albumin and gender (p = 0.0005), and albumin
and etiology of epilepsy (p = 0.0186). There was a significant low-intensity and inverse linear
correlation (coefficient = -0.31363, p = 0.0037) between albumin and disease duration. In the logistic
regression model, a significant association was only observed between the number of ASM
and the frequency of seizures (p = 0.0120; OR = 3.368; 95% CI = 1.305-8.691). There was no association
between plasma proteins and the outcomes of seizure frequency and neurological examination.
The number of ASM and not protein metabolism was associated with frequency of seizures in
patients with epilepsy.
