Abstracts

Rationale: Anxiety and Depression are frequently reported as major psychiatric morbidities in patients with epilepsy with prevalence reaching between 20-50%. However, frequency of these is not known amongst epilepsy patients monitored in Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). Our objective is to find frequency of Anxiety and Depression in EMU setting and any correlation to electroclinical variables. Methods: We did an observational study of consecutive patients admitted to Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. We obtained demographic, clinical, MRI and electrographic characteristics of the patients. Patients were screened for Anxiety and depression using HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) questionnaire. Results: Twenty five patients with epilepsy (22, focal and 3, generalized epilepsy) were recruited with average age (+SD) of 25.5 (+7.6). There were 14 males and 11 females, with mean duration of epilepsy, 9.6(+ 8.5) years and seizure frequency of 1-3 per month. Amongst the focal epilepsy group 13 had temporal onset seizures. Sixteen patients had lesional MRI. All patients were on AEDs with 13(52%) on 2 or more drugs. Sixteen patients (64%) had anxiety and 9(40%) had depression. There was no significant association seen with respect to type of epilepsy, age, sex, duration of epilepsy, seizure localization, MRI findings or AEDs. Conclusions: Anxiety seemed to occur at a higher frequency in patients admitted to EMU and should be addressed as a part of management plan. This may be possibly related to EMU setting, fear of having a seizure, reduction of AEDs and requires further study.