Ideal characteristics of an antiepileptic drug: how do these impact treatment decisions for individual patients?

Effective management of epilepsy requires a holistic approach that takes into account the needs of the individual patient. Antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment must therefore look beyond efficacy to ensure that the patient's overall health status and quality of life (QoL) are optimized. Because the primary objective of AED treatment is to control seizures over the long term, the ideal AED should, first and foremost, demonstrate sustained efficacy and favourable tolerability. In addition, it should have a broad spectrum of activity; its pharmacokinetic profile should be stable and predictable and allow the option of once-daily dosing; and it should not interact with other medications and concomitant AEDs. Because the efficacy of first-line AEDs is broadly comparable, choice of treatment should be based on the individual patient's specific clinical characteristics. In particular, the primary and secondary prevention of comorbid conditions should be taken into consideration, because this can reduce the risk of mortality and improve health outcomes and QoL. Treatment selection must also take into account the patient's particular lifestyle and priorities, to maximize the likelihood of long-term treatment adherence. Advances in genetic testing may help inform choice of treatment - not only by elucidating a patient's underlying aetiology, but also by helping to avoid unnecessary side effects. Although certain patient populations (e.g. women of childbearing potential, adolescents, the elderly) require particular consideration when choosing the most appropriate treatment, every patient's unique clinical characteristics and personal circumstances must be taken into account to ensure treatment success and optimize their QoL.