topiramate and Aphasia

To evaluate the prevalence of word-finding difficulties as a treatment-emergent adverse event in patients with epilepsy taking topiramate and to identify a clinical phenotype at risk.. The authors investigated the relationship of word-finding difficulties to topiramate titration schedule, seizure frequency and pattern, and EEG and neuroradiologic findings in 431 consecutively and prospectively collected patients taking topiramate.. Thirty-one patients (7.2%) developed word-finding difficulties. Presence of simple partial seizures (OR = 6.7 p = 0.007) and a left temporal EEG epileptic focus (OR = 5.2 p = 0.021) were significantly associated with word-finding difficulties.. The presence of word-finding difficulties seems to be a titration schedule independent phenomenon that occurs in a subgroup of patients with a specific biologic vulnerability.

Topics: Adult; Anticonvulsants; Aphasia; Causality; Comorbidity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Female; Fructose; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Topiramate; United Kingdom; Verbal Behavior