Study on the P300 of adult epileptic patients (unmedicated and medicated patients)

On cognitive function there have been few reports that examined the difference between unmedicated epileptics and normals. There have been relatively few reports in epileptic patients to use P300 (event-related potential) in order to assess cognitive function. We undertook this study to assess cognitive function in adult epileptic patients who were receiving or not receiving drug therapy and to investigate the factors causing their cognitive dysfunction by using P300. The subjects consisted of 46 unmedicated epileptic patients (the unmedicated group), 74 medicated epileptic patients (the medicated group), and 78 healthy subjects (the control group). The oddball paradigm was used in the measurement of P300. There were no significant differences in either latency or amplitude between the unmedicated group and the control group, but the latencies were significantly longer in the medicated group than in the control group. Significant positive correlations were found between the seizure frequency and latency prolongation, the number of drugs and latency prolongation, and the blood concentrations of all antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) administrated and latency prolongation, while no relationships were found with age at onset, duration of illness, or seizure type. These results suggest that the cognitive function of epileptic patients may be impaired by multidrug combination and high doses of AEDs, in addition to the possibility that it is impaired by frequently recurring seizures.

Key words: Adult epileptic patients, Antiepileptic drugs, Medicated, P300, Unmedicated

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