RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed at investigating the effects of TJ-960 on cognitive function in epileptic patients. Sternberg's paradigm was used to examine the change in cognitive function, especially short-term memory, resulting from administration of TJ-960, along with the effects of the drug on seizures. SUBJECTS: The subjects of this investigation were 26 epileptic outpatients (14 males and 12 females; average age: 35 +/- 11 years old) of the Saitama Medical School Hospital, the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital and the Tokyo University Hospital. The controls were 17 other epileptic outpatients (12 males and 5 females; average age: 40 +/- 12 years old) of the same hospitals. METHODS: The subjects were administered 7.5 g of TJ-960 per day for 8 weeks in addition to their previous medications. Immediately before the beginning of drug administration, and again after 8 weeks of administration, they were examined, using Sternberg's paradigm. The controls were examined at intervals of 8 weeks in the same manner as the subjects (i.e., no change in regimen). RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment with TJ-960, 8 of the subjects exhibited a greater than 25% decrease in the number of seizures. Seventeen cases showed no change, and one case showed exacerbation. The correct reaction times for Sternberg's paradigm in the group administered TJ-960 were 955 +/- 307 ms at the time of the first examination and 881 +/- 277 ms at the time of the second, and those of the control group were 845 +/- 288 ms for the first examination and 829 +/- 269 ms for the second. As these figures show, the correct reaction time was significantly shortened between the first and second examinations in the TJ-960 group. No change was exhibited in the sample reaction time between the first and second examination in either group. The difference in alpha wave power of the occipital region before and after the TJ-960 administration was significantly greater in the patients who showed improvement in Sternberg's paradigm as compared to the patients who remained unchanged in Sternberg's paradigm. In addition, the results for the theta wave power were opposite to those of alpha waves. As mentioned above, TJ-960 was presumed to have the effect of improving the cognitive function in epileptic patients.