The objective of the study was to compare the psychiatric and behavioral side effect (PBSE) profiles of both older and newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in children and adolescent patients with epilepsy.
We used logistic regression analysis to test the correlation between 83 non-AED/patient related potential predictor variables and the rate of PBSE. We then compared for each AED the rate of PBSEs and the rate of PBSEs that led to intolerability (IPBSE) while controlling for non-AED predictors of PBSEs.
922 patients (≤18 years old) were included in our study. PBSEs and IPBSEs occurred in 13.8% and 11.2% of patients, respectively. Overall, a history of psychiatric condition, absence seizures, intractable epilepsy, and frontal lobe epilepsy were significantly associated with increased PBSE rates. Levetiracetam (LEV) had the greatest PBSE rate (16.2%). This was significantly higher compared to other AEDs. LEV was also significantly associated with a high rate of IPBSEs (13.4%) and dose-decrease rates due to IPBSE (6.7%). Zonisamide (ZNS) was associated with significantly higher cessation rate due to IPBSE (9.1%) compared to other AEDs.
Patients with a history of psychiatric condition, absence seizures, intractable epilepsy, or frontal lobe epilepsy are more likely to develop PBSE. PBSEs appear to occur more frequently in adolescent and children patients taking LEV compared to other AEDs. LEV-attributed PBSEs are more likely to be associated with intolerability and subsequent decrease in dose. The rate of ZNS-attributed IPBSEs is more likely to be associated with complete cessation of AED.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
7
7%
Psychology
7
7%
Neuroscience
5
5%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
2
2%
Other
15
15%
Unknown
40
39%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 23 January 2025.
All research outputs
#11,219,100
of 33,087,078 outputs
Outputs from European Journal of Paediatric Neurology
#394
of 1,282 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#163,820
of 468,713 outputs
Outputs of similar age from European Journal of Paediatric Neurology
#2
of 14 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 33,087,078 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 65th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,282 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 4.4. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 67% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 468,713 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 64% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 14 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 78% of its contemporaries.
