Neuropsychology and psychiatric effect of epilepsy on patients quality of life: a comparative short term study

Background

Person suffering from epilepsy usually becomes more withdrawn, depressed and Cognitive function is more frequently impaired in people with epilepsy than in the general population, and the degree of cognitive impairment varies according to the epilepsy syndrome

Materials and methods

Behavioral disorders are also more frequent in people with epilepsy than in individuals who do not have epilepsy. Behavioral disturbance is seen more commonly in people with refractory epilepsy due to organic brain diseases, epilepsy syndromes, drugs nonresponsive epilepsy, and epilepsy due to metabolic channelopathies. The various epilepsy syndromes of childhood and adolescence differ greatly in terms of cognitive and behavioral outcome. In Childhood Lennox gastaut syndrome, West Syndrome, Juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy, and In Adult Temporal Lobe epilepsy usually have mood, cognitive and behavior problem. Behavior problem can manifest any time before or after diagnosing epilepsy.

Results

Conditions in which behavioral and cognitive disorders may be associated with epilepsy include depression, psychosis, anxiety, and attention deficit. the cognitive and behavioural outcome of epilepsy syndromes can be dealt by effective treatment with either antiepileptic medication or surgery.

Conclusions

The educational and social impairments associated with the epilepsy syndromes of childhood and adolescence are of major importance to study and to improve quality of life in person having epilepsy.