IMPROVED QUALITY-OF-LIFE AS AN OUTCOME OF ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG-THERAPY - IS IT ENOUGH

In the assessment of the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), seizure frequency is often the most common, and usually the only, end-point used. However, the need to consider other important seizure-related variables, including seizure severity and measures of psychological functioning, has been well documented. Recent research has focused on the development of health-related quality-of-life questionnaires for use in clinical trials and clinical practice. Such measures may have the potential for enhancing the assessment of the efficacy of AED treatment. Nevertheless, more substantial evidence is required to demonstrate the usefulness of such measures before they can be established as an integral part of the assessment of the impact of AED treatment.