Quality Of Life In Patients With Focal Seizures Treated With Brivaracetam For 6 Months. A Real-World Evidence Calidad De Vida De Los Pacientes Con Crisis Focales Tratados Con Brivaracetam Durante 6 Meses. Una Observación En El Mundo Real

Abstract

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) defines epileptic seizures as transient episodes of signs or symptoms due to abnormal neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is a prevalent condition worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of 6.38 per 1000 inhabitants. In Ecuador, a similar prevalence is estimated, between 6-12 per 1000 inhabitants. The high frequency of epilepsy emphasises the importance of assessing its impact on quality of life, which includes social, economic and environmental spheres. Tools such as the EQ-5D is commonly used for this assessment due to their internal consistency and proven validity. This study evaluated the quality of life, safety and satisfaction of patients with focal seizures treated with Brivaracetam for six months. The study included 30 patients with a mean age of 33.2 ± 19.7 years, of whom 63.3% were female. Brivaracetam dosing ranged from 100 mg to 150 mg daily. The most prevalent comorbidities were depression (13%), anxiety (9%), and insomnia (9%). The most common concomitant medication included valproic acid and levetiracetam (22% each).

At baseline, 50% of patients reported experiencing 5.5 or more seizures daily, but after six months, this figure had reduced to 50% reporting 1.5 seizures daily or less, and 25% had no seizures at all (p = 0.0003). Furthermore, 80% of patients reported an improvement in their overall health status (p = 0.0001). Significant improvements were observed in activities of daily living and anxiety/depression dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L scale (p = 0.05 and p = 0.017, respectively). Brivaracetam was found to be effective and well tolerated, with a favorable safety profile and a positive impact on patients' quality of life.