Interictal dysphoric disorder: A frequent psychiatric comorbidity among patients with epilepsy who were followed in two tertiary centers

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders are frequent among patients with epilepsy. Data in the literature have shown a heterogeneous clinical presentation of psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy. Interictal dysphoric disorder could be a specific psychiatric comorbidity associated with epilepsy, primarily in patients treated in tertiary centers. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of interictal dysphoric disorder among patients with epilepsy who were followed in two tertiary epilepsy services in Brazil. Method: Sixty-five patients with epilepsy completed the Portuguese version of the Interictal Dysphoric Disorder Inventory. Results: Thirty-three (50.7%) patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for interictal dysphoric disorder, although all participants answered positively to having at least one key symptom. Conclusion: The high rate of patients with epilepsy who fulfilled the diagnosis of interictal dysphoric disorder confirms an association between epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. However, there is clearly a need to improve diagnostic tools to allow better differentiation between interictal dysphoric disorder and other psychiatric disorders.