Enlightening the Relationship Between Epilepsy and Depression

Abstract

The most common concomitant mental illness with epilepsy is depression. According to population-based research, its lifetime prevalence ranges from 6% to 30%, and among patients monitored at tertiary hospitals, it can reach 50%. According to estimates, the risk of suicide is ten times higher than that of the general population. No one disputes the link between epilepsy and depression, but new research has now shown that a history of depression is linked to a 4- to 6-fold increased risk of epilepsy. There is the possibility of a "bi-directional" interaction between these two illnesses or the existence of shared pathogenic pathways that make it easier for one to arise when the other is present. The emotional cost of chronic disease, genetic predispositions, and common neurobiological pathways including neurotransmitter dysregulation are some of the variables that contribute to this comorbidity. Antiepileptic medications (AEDs) can also affect mood, either making depression symptoms worse or making them better. Despite its relatively high prevalence, depression remains unrecognized and untreated, and unfortunately its treatment is based on empirical and uncontrolled data. Keywords: epilepsy, depression, neurobiology, bidirectional relationship, antiepileptic drugs, quality of life.