Longitudinal reduction of quality of life in patients with epilepsy and no seizure increase during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aims: In early 2020, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impaired medical care of chronic neurological diseases, including epilepsy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the levels of anxiety, depression, somnolence and quality of life using validated scales in patients with epilepsy in real-life clinical practice.
Methods: Self-administered scales of anxiety disorders (GAD-7), depression (NDDI-E), somnolence (Epworth Sleepiness Scale; ESS) and quality of life (QOLIE-31-P) in patients with epilepsy treated in the Refractory Epilepsy Unit of a tertiary hospital were longitudinally analyzed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Data were collected before the beginning (December 2019-March 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020-January 2021).
Results: 37 patients, 45.0+-17.3 years of age, 43.2% women, epilepsy duration 23.0+-14.9 years, number of anti-epileptic drugs 2.1+-1.4, answered in the two periods. Significant longitudinal reduction of QOLIE-31-P scores (from 58.9+-19.7 to 56.2+-16.2, p=0.035) was identified. No statistically significant longitudinal changes in NDDI-E (from 12.3+-4.3 to 13.4+-4.4, p=0.293) or the number of seizures (from 0.9+-1.9 to 2.5+-6.2, p=0.125) were found. Significant higher ESS (from 4.9+-3.7 to 7.4+-4.9, p=0.001) and lower GAD-7 scores (from 8.8+-6.2 to 8.3+-5.9, corrected p=0.024 adjusted by refractory epilepsy and sleep disturbance) were found during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, quality of life was lower in patients with epilepsy, levels of anxiety were reduced and sleepiness levels were raised, without seizure change. Additional studies would be useful to adequately manage these comorbidities.
Disclosure: There is no disclosure.