Efficacy of levetiracetam combined with oxcarbazepine in the treatment of adults with temporal lobe epilepsy and its impact on memory and cognitive function.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of levetiracetam combined with oxcarbazepine on the memory and cognitive function of adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included 91 adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy treated at Xianyang Hospital from June 2020 to December 2022. Based on their medication regimen, patients were categorized into an observation group (n=51) receiving levetiracetam plus oxcarbazepine and a control group (n=40) receiving only levetiracetam. Both groups underwent 3 months of continuous treatment. Therapeutic efficacy, pre- and post-treatment memory function (assessed using the Clinical Memory Scale, CMS), cognitive function (evaluated with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised in China, WAISRC), anxiety and depression levels (measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, HAMA, and Hamilton Depression Scale, HAMD), as well as adverse reactions, were compared between the two groups. Independent factors influencing treatment efficacy were also analyzed.

RESULTS

CMS and WAISRC scores significantly increased in both groups after treatment (both P=0.001), with the observation group showing more significant improvements than the control group (P=0.001). The improvements in HAMA and HAMD scores in the observation group were significantly better than the control group (all P<0.001). Adverse reaction occurrence showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Prognostic analysis identified seizure frequency and treatment regimen as independent factors influencing efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Levetiracetam combined with oxcarbazepine effectively improves cognitive dysfunction in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy, with superior efficacy to levetiracetam alone, and good safety.