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Antiepileptic Use Linked To Reduced Ocular Perfusion

Patients who take antiepileptic drugs have reduced blood flow in their ocular area, which may have an impact on their visual functioning.

Use of antiepileptic drugs has been shown to lead to reduced cerebral blood flow and decreased cerebral glucose metabolism. As a result, E. J. Hilton from the Neurosciences Research Institute, Aston University, England, and colleagues investigated whether ocular haemodynamics are also affected by using of these agents.

Among 14 patients taking antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epilepsy, the investigators measured retinal capillary microvascular flow, volume and velocity in the temporal neuroretinal rim. They took these measurements using scanning laser Doppler flowmetry. Results in the epileptic patients were compared to results with 14 age- and gender-matched controls.

Those taking antiepileptic drugs had a significant reduction in retinal blood volume (13.52 ± 3.75 AU, p=0.001), flow (219.14 ± 76.61 AU, p=0.003) and velocity (0.77 ± 0.269 AU, p = 0.001) compared to controls. On average, patients with epilepsy had a 36.31 percent reduction in flow, a 28.92 percent reduction in volume and a 34.19 reduction in velocity compared to controls.

The authors concluded that patients with epilepsy taking antiepileptic drugs have reduced neuroretinal capillary blood flow, volume and velocity compared with individuals without epilepsy who are not taking these agents. They suggest that this reduction in ocular perfusion may have an impact on patients' visual functioning.
Epilepsia 2002 Nov;43(11):1346-50. "Epilepsy Patients Treated with Antiepileptic Drug Therapy Exhibit Compromised Ocular Perfusion Characteristics."

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