Abstracts

The most common psychiatric disorder in epilepsy is interictal depression, which a lifetime prevalence is of 10 [ndash] 60%. Depression and anxiety symptoms in epilepsy are often underrecognized and undertreated. The aetiology of depression and anxiety in epilepsy has not been determined, but it can include: the brain pathology, the negative psychosocial impact of epilepsy and side effects of antiepileptic drugs. This study was designed to assess depressiveness, state and trait anxiety and general health perception in patients with epilepsy. 1495 patients, 16 [ndash] 80 years old, with newly diagnosed or treated epilepsy and experiencing any seizure type classifiable by the International Classification of Seizures. These patients has to be free of additional chronic diseases and to were able fulfil questionnaires. The following assessments were obtained: medical history, seizure history and frequency, serious negative life events, current treatment and mood assessments including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Spielberger[rsquo]s State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Goldberg[rsquo]s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The mean BDI score in patients with epilepsy was 16,9, suggesting mild depression. 59,5 per cent of patients have BDI scores above 13, including 15.1 per cent having BDI scores above 29. The trait anxiety scores were significantly higher than state anxiety scores, but lower than I community samples. The BDI scores were significantly correlated with age. There was no correlation between mood scores and epilepsy variables including seizure frequency. Depression is a common comorbidity in epilepsy patients, but the level of anxiety seems not to be significantly higher than in general population (Supported by GlaxoSmithKline sponsored the research described in this paper)