Depression, resistant epilepsy and quality of life

SCÉVOLA L, FERNANDEZ LIMA M, SARUDIANSKY M, PAZ H, ODDO S, KOCHEN S, D' ALESSIO L.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; VIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Epilepsia; 2014

Liga Internacional Contra la Epilepsia (ILAE)

Objectives: Depression is frequent among patients with resistant epilepsy and common physiopathogenic pathways between the two conditions are postulated. Our aim was to study psychiatrically patients with resistant epilepsy and to determine whether depression associated with resistant epilepsy affects even more the quality of life. Methods: A psychiatric assessment of patients with resistant epilepsy, who were admitted to the monitoring video EEG unit during the period 2010-2013 was performed, using SCID I (Structured Clinical Interview for Axis 1 diagnoses of DSM IV), BDI (Beck Inventory) GAF (global assessment of functioning) and QlesQ (quality of life). Patients were divided in two groups, with depression (some current depression according to DSM IV) and without depression (no depression according to DSM IV). GAF and quality of life between the two groups were compared. Student´s test was used for statistical analysis. Results: We included 92 patients with resistant epilepsy, 46 men (50%) and 46 women (50%). Forty five patients met criteria for depression (49%), while 47 (51%) had no depression. No significant differences in age and sex between the two groups were found. The overall quality of life was significantly lower in the group with depression (p0.006) compared to the group without depression. GAF didn´t show significant differences. Conclusion: Subjective assessment of quality of life showed that depression significantly affects quality of life, rather than the seizures per se. The management of these patients should be interdisciplinary.