Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors prolong seizures – Preliminary results from an observational study

ObjectiveSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often used in the treatment of depressive disorders in patients with epilepsy. Pro- and anti-convulsive effects of SSRIs are discussed controversially. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible impact of SSRIs-treatment on duration of EEG and clinical features in epilepsy patients.MethodsWe studied video-EEG data from 162 patients with focal epilepsies between January 2006 and March 2008 using a case–control study design. Eleven patients with 19 complex focal seizures (CFSs) and 16 secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (sGTCSs) treated with SSRIs (SSRIs+) were matched to 13 patients without SSRIs-treatment (SSRIs−). We compared duration of ictal EEG in CFSs and sGTCSs, duration of convulsions in sGTCSs and duration of postictal EEG suppression after sGTCSs in SSRIs+ and SSRIs− patients.ResultsIctal EEG duration of both, CFSs and sGTCSs, was significantly longer in SSRIs+ patients than in SSRIs− patients (p = 0.004 and p = 0.015, respectively). No significant difference was found between convulsive phase duration of sGTCSs as well as duration of postictal EEG suppression after sGTCSs in both groups.ConclusionSeizures last significantly longer in patients with epilepsy and SSRIs as co-medication. A causative role of SSRIs in ictal activity has to be explored in prospective studies.