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Brain tumor location influences the onset of acute psychiatric adverse events of levetiracetam therapy: an observational study.

Belcastro, V; Pisani, LR; Bellocchi, S; Casiraghi, P; Gorgone, G; Mula, M; Pisani, F (2017) Brain tumor location influences the onset of acute psychiatric adverse events of levetiracetam therapy: an observational study. J Neurol, 264 (5). pp. 921-927. ISSN 1432-1459 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-017-8463-6
SGUL Authors: Mula, Marco

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Abstract

To explore possible correlations among brain lesion location, development of psychiatric symptoms and the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a population of patients with brain tumor and epilepsy. The medical records of 283 patients with various types of brain tumor (161 M/122 F, mean age 64.9 years) were analysed retrospectively. Patients with grade III and IV glioma, previous history of epileptic seizures and/or psychiatric disorders were excluded. Psychiatric symptoms occurring after initiation of AED therapy were considered as treatment emergent psychiatric adverse events (TE-PAEs) if they fulfilled the following conditions: (1) onset within 4 weeks after the beginning of AED therapy; (2) disappearance on drug discontinuation; (3) absence of any other identified possible concurrent cause. The possible influence of the following variables were analysed: (a) AED drug and dose; (b) location and neuroradiologic features of the tumor, (c) location and type of EEG epileptic abnormalities, (d) tumor excision already or not yet performed; (e) initiation or not of radiotherapy. TE-PAEs occurred in 27 of the 175 AED-treated patients (15.4%). Multivariate analysis showed a significant association of TE-PAEs occurrence with location of the tumor in the frontal lobe (Odds ratio: 5.56; 95% confidence interval 1.95-15.82; p value: 0.005) and treatment with levetiracetam (Odds ratio: 3.61; 95% confidence interval 1.48-8.2; p value: 0.001). Drug-unrelated acute psychiatric symptoms were observed in 4 of the 108 AED-untreated patients (3.7%) and in 7 of the 175 AED-treated patients (4%). The results of the present study suggest that an AED alternative to levetiracetam should be chosen to treat epileptic seizures in patients with a brain tumor located in the frontal lobe to minimize the possible onset of TE-PAEs.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-017-8463-6
Keywords: Epilepsy, Levetiracetam, Psychiatric adverse events, Tumor frontal lobe location, Tumor frontal lobe location, Epilepsy, Levetiracetam, Psychiatric adverse events, Neurology & Neurosurgery, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1109 Neurosciences
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE)
Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE) > Centre for Clinical Education (INMECE )
Journal or Publication Title: J Neurol
ISSN: 1432-1459
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
May 2017Published
18 March 2017Published Online
14 March 2017Accepted
Publisher License: Publisher's own licence
PubMed ID: 28315958
Web of Science ID: WOS:000400617200012
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/108883
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-017-8463-6

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