The Effect of Antiepileptic Drugs on Mood and Behavioral Changes in Children Aged 4–10 Years at Dr. Moewardi Regional General Hospital
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Abstract
Epilepsy in children involves not only the occurrence of seizures but may also be accompanied by mood and behavioral changes potentially linked to the disease characteristics or the use of antiepileptic drugs. Monitoring psychobehavioral changes during therapy is essential to support comprehensive clinical evaluation. This study aimed to analyze mood and behavioral changes in children aged 4–10 years following antiepileptic drug therapy and to evaluate the associations of drug type, dosage, duration of therapy, and treatment regimen with these changes. A quantitative approach using a prospective observational cohort design was employed. The study subjects consisted of 150 children aged 4–10 years with epilepsy receiving antiepileptic drug therapy. Data collected included demographic and clinical characteristics, drug type, dosage, duration of therapy, monotherapy or polytherapy regimens, pre- and post-therapy mood and behavioral scores, side effects, and treatment adherence. Analyses were conducted using paired-samples t-tests or Wilcoxon tests, ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests, Pearson or Spearman correlations, and multiple linear regression, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The mean change in mood scores was 1.92 ± 2.30, and the mean change in behavioral scores was 2.47 ± 2.63. Statistically significant differences were observed between pre- and post-therapy scores for both mood and behavior (p < 0.001). Differences in score changes were observed based on drug type (p < 0.001); the levetiracetam group exhibited greater changes in mood and behavioral scores compared to several other drug groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that levetiracetam use and polytherapy regimens were associated with changes in mood and behavioral scores after adjusting for clinical covariates. Changes in mood and behavioral scores occurred in children following antiepileptic therapy, with variations observed based on drug type and treatment regimen. Monitoring mood and behavior should be an integral part of the evaluation of children with epilepsy during therapy. Interpretation of the results must take into account clinical and confounding factors and cannot be used to infer a causal relationship.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lia falichatul wachidah, Fadhilah Tia Nur, Andhika Trisna Putra, Aisya Fikritama Aditya
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