ABSTRACT

An analysis of clinical practice trends in use of conventional drugs to treat epilepsy versus newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was conducted.

Medical records of patients who presented at the clinic with diagnosis of epilepsy 2007-2012 were investigated retrospectively.

Data of 1126 patients were evaluated. Among them, 624 (55%) patients were treated using monotherapy, 449 (40%) patients received polytherapy, and 53 (5%) patients had no therapy. While 916 (81%) of the patients were using conventional AEDs, 447 (40%) of the patients were using newer AEDs. A total of 887 (79%) of the patients were using either valproate or carbamazepine. Of the 624 patients using monotherapy, 523 (84%) were on conventional AEDs and 101 (16%) patients were taking newer AEDs.

In a previous study, the authors found the percentage choosing newer AEDs to be 1% before 1994, 10% in the period 1995– 2000, and 14% in the period 2000–2007. Although the present study indicates that there was an increase (40%) in the use of newer AEDs in 2007–2012, it seems that conventional AEDs are still a first-line treatment choice, at least in Turkish clinical practice. Yet as both epileptologists and patients gain experience with newer AEDs, the trend is likely to change.

Keywords: Anticonvulsants, epilepsy, therapeutics