Language Disturbances as Side Effects of Topiramate and Zonisamide Therapy

Reversible side effects of two sulfa-containing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), topiramate (TPM) and zonisamide (ZNS), are reported. These effects differ from those of other AEDs in that language impairment was the predominant cognitive complaint. Information was available for 42 patients exposed to TPM...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEpilepsy & behavior Vol. 2; no. 6; pp. 579 - 584
Main Authors Ojemann, Linda M, Ojemann, George A, Dodrill, Carl B, Crawford, Carol A, Holmes, Mark D, Dudley, Donald L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2001
Subjects
anomia
antiepileptic drug toxicity
aphasia
epilepsy
language
sulfa
topiramate
zonisamide
epilepsy
aphasia
antiepileptic drug toxicity
zonisamide
language
anomia
sulfa
topiramate
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Reversible side effects of two sulfa-containing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), topiramate (TPM) and zonisamide (ZNS), are reported. These effects differ from those of other AEDs in that language impairment was the predominant cognitive complaint. Information was available for 42 patients exposed to TPM. Twenty-two (52%) complained of adverse effects; 12, specifically of deficits in language-related functions. Brief neuropsychological testing in four patients on TPM confirmed verbal deficits. These deficits could appear shortly after initiating TPM and disappear variably after drug withdrawal. Similar complaints were seen in a pilot study of ZNS monotherapy, administered in supratherapeutic doses, confirmed by neuropsychological testing. TPM and ZNS both contain a sulfa moiety, suggesting that verbal processing is especially sensitive to these sulfa-containing AEDs.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1525-5050
1525-5069
DOI:10.1006/ebeh.2001.0285