Background: Correlation between steady-state serum concentrations of antiepileptic drugs and both seizure control and adverse drug reactions frequency (two major determinants of quality of life in patients with epilepsy) is still matter of controversy.
Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate whether a correlation exists between steady-state serum concentration of valproic acid and quality of life in adolescent patients with epilepsy.
Method: Twenty-one adolescent patients with epilepsy, treated with valproic acid for more than 6 months entered the study. On two occasions, 3 months apart, both through and 2-h-after-the-dose serum concentrations of valproic acid were measured, as well as quality of life, using QOLIE-AD-48 for adolescents. Adverse drug reactions and seizure control were also recorded.
Results: Significant inverse correlation between through serum concentrations of valproic acid and total QOLIE-AD-48 scores was observed, together with correlation between through serum concentrations and adverse drug reactions frequency. The scores of memory/concentration and physical functioning QOLIEAD-48 domains were significantly and inversely correlated with through serum concentrations.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that therapeutic monitoring of valproic acid serum concentrations could be useful predictor and marker of the most important epilepsy treatment outcome--quality of life.