Quality of life in epilepsy

Abstract

In the past several years, there has been substantial growth in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) research in epilepsy. Although physicians have long observed and documented many of the psychosocial problems of patients with epilepsy, the attempt to define and quantify HRQOL in these patients is a new science. As Baker et al. noted, QOL research activity in epilepsy has consistently lagged behind similar research in five other common chronic conditions (1). However, several recent developments in HRQOL research in epilepsy provide the possibility to pursue this area scientifically. The goals of this research are clear. As with treatments for most chronic diseases, treatments for epilepsy often fall short of “curing” disease, leaving patients wtih some suboptimal side effects. For most patients with epilepsy, improving function by decreasing symptoms and illness severity is the main goal of therapy. Clearly, this outcome speaks to more than just a patient’s seizure frequency; it calls for a more complete appraisal of a patient’s overall health, including the psychosocial problems which may bother the patient more than the actual physical severity of the illness. As Fallowfield noted in a recent review: “Illness compromises not only one’s biological integrity, but also one’s psychological, social, and economic well-being” (2). HRQOL assessment seeks to evaluate and integrate these multiple domains into a global appraisal of