Comorbid emotional disturbances in drug-resistant epilepsy in neurosurgical patients during the preoperative and postoperative periods

Abstract

Background. Pharmacoresistant epilepsy, i.e. failure to achieve adequate seizure control with antiepileptic drugs develops in 30–40 % of patients. The surgical treatment for these patients are of particular importance. The relevance of studying the emotional sphere of neurosurgical patients with drug-resistant epilepsy stems from the high incidence of this pathology and its impact on patients’ quality of life.Objective. To investigate comorbidity indicators: depression and anxiety in neurosurgical patients with drug-resistant epilepsy during the preoperative and postoperative periods of epilepsy treatment.Design and methods. In 2019–2020, Polenov Neurosurgical Institute studied comorbid affective pathology in 46 neurosurgical patients with drug-resistant epilepsy in 2 groups: Group 1 — preoperative and Group 2 — postoperative patients, using HADS for screening.Results. The study included 46 patients in 2 groups. Group1 — 56.5 %, Group2 — 43.5 %. The mean age of the participants in the study was 30.8 ± 1.1 years. The sex ratio in the cohort was 1.7 males to 1 female. In the cohort, no anxiety was observed in 71.7 % and depression in 84.8 %, severe anxiety in 13 % and depression in 8.7 %.Conclusion. Among the neurosurgical patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, patients without symptoms of anxiety and depression predominated. There is a need to expand the sample and investigate further.