Association of depression with epilepsy

Abstract

Many epilepsy clinics are mainly concerned with seizure control, treatment and neurological deficits with epilepsy but it is vitally important that we are able to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and, in particular, those of depression. Depression lowers quality of life significantly yet it is an eminently treatable condition. Depression can directly increase seizure frequency through the mechanism of sleep deprivation; failure to recognize depression or inadequate treatment can lead to suicide. Besides this; peri-ictal expression of depression or some time atypical expression of depression is seen in epileptic patients. Depression also often worsens concordance with antiepileptic medication. Multifactorial variables play a pathogenic role in the high comorbid occurrence of these two disorders.Animal models of depression in which the kindling process is facilitated. Neurobiological aspects and data from structural and functional neuroimaging studies in humans provide a further understanding of potential common pathogenic mechanisms operant in depression and epilepsy that may explain their high comorbidity.