Study Finds No Association Between Antiepileptic Drug Use and Dementia Risk

A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease of 101,150 persons followed in general and neuropsychiatrist practices in Germany did not uncover a link between antiepileptic drug (AED) use and dementia risk, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed data from the Disease Analyzer database, including information on seniors whose first dementia diagnosis was documented between January 2013 and December 2017. Dementia-free controls were matched to those with dementia by age, gender, physician, diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, and observation time prior to the index date. Generally, no significant association between AED use and dementia risk was observed, nor was the duration of AED treatment associated with a risk of dementia. The only drug family associated with higher dementia risk were generic levetiracetam brands, but no association was seen with the original levetiracetam brand. "The major message of this study is an all-clear for people with epilepsy, who should not fear that their AED use will result in a higher risk of dementia," concluded Louis Jacob at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.