Age aspects of quality of life research in patients with epilepsy

In spite of the fact that patients of advanced age are the fastest growing population of patients with epilepsy, there is no sufficient data on quality of life (QOL) questionnaires sensitivity in the elderly patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate correlations between QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-10 scores in the elderly and young patients with epilepsy before and after antiepileptic therapy optimization. Twenty-seven elderly (average age 65.36 +/- 3.88 years) and 30 young (average age 25.05 +/- 3.06 years) patients completed questionnaires QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-10 The analysis of QOL indicators was conducted at the following control points: 1) before the beginning or correction of antiepileptic therapy; 2) 6 months after the beginning of therapy or its optimization. In young patients after the beginning or optimization of therapy, the statistically significant negative correlation between the majority QOLIE-31 subscales and a total QOLIE-10 score, with the exception of the "Emotional well-beings", was revealed. In the elderly patients, the positive correlations with the "Energy/fatigue" (r=0.46) and the "Medications effect" (r=0.20) subscales were noted. Considering the score estimation in QOLIE-31 and QOLIE-10 questionnaires, the revealed positive correlations could testify smaller sensitivity of questions in the brief version (QOLIE-10) in the elderly patients with epilepsy in comparison with young patients. According to the data received, the validity of QOLIE-10 appeared to be insufficient in the elderly patients, with the QOLIE-31 questionnaire being preferred. In young patients, the QOLIE-10 can be recommended as a screening QOL tool at the beginning of antiepileptic therapy, and later for estimation of AEDs efficiency.