Cenobamate May Improve Quality of Life for Young Adults with TSC

Source: Neurology and therapy

Summary

This study looked at the effects of a medication called cenobamate on young adults with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) who have epilepsy that does not respond to other treatments. Researchers followed 22 patients aged 18 to 24 over a year to see how cenobamate affected their thinking skills, behavior, quality of life, and the stress levels of their parents. They used various tests to measure these areas at the beginning of the study and again after 3 and 12 months.

The key findings showed that after taking cenobamate, participants had significant improvements in their executive functions, quality of life, and parental stress levels after 3 and 12 months. However, their overall adaptive behavior and IQ scores remained stable over the year. Interestingly, those with a specific genetic mutation (TSC2) had lower IQ scores compared to those with another mutation (TSC1). This suggests that while cenobamate helped with some areas, it did not change everything.

These results are important because they indicate that cenobamate can be a helpful option for young adults with TSC and drug-resistant epilepsy, improving their quality of life and reducing parental stress. However, the study had a small number of participants, which means more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the full impact of cenobamate on cognitive and emotional functioning.

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