Mechanisms of Psychiatric Comorbidities in Epilepsy

Prevalence and associated factors of psychiatric comorbidities in epilepsy in the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the estimated prevalence of anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression syndrome (ADS) and to identify the associated factors in Moroccan people with epilepsy (PWE).

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult PWE (June 2021-December 2022) in the Casablanca-Settat region. PWE were interviewed by completing a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and clinical data. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Out of 21 points, a score ≥8 is in favor of considerable anxiety/depression symptoms and a sum of the two scores ≥15 indicates the presence of ADS. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0. p-values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant and logistic regression was performed to determine the associated factors.

RESULTS

Among 294 PWE, the median age was 39 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 25.75-54.00). The median anxiety, depression, and ADS scores were 8 (IQR: 5.00-10.00), 7 (IQR: 4.00-10.00), and 15 (IQR: 10.00-20.00), respectively. Anxiety, depression, and ADS were revealed in 51.4%, 44.9%, and 51.0% of PWE, respectively. Depression was the only predictor for anxiety (aOR = 24.20; 95%CI: 12.45-47.01). Antiseizure polytherapy (aOR = 3.35; 95%CI: 1.72-6.54) and anxiety (aOR = 24.04; 95%CI: 12.12-47.67) were the factors associated with depression. The risk of ADS was increased by female gender (aOR = 2.83; 95%CI: 1.68-4.78), antiseizure polytherapy (aOR = 2.75; 95%CI: 1.62-4.65), structural epilepsy (aOR = 1.73; 95%CI: 1.01-2.94), and the presence of concomitant conditions with epilepsy (aOR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.16-3.31).

SIGNIFICANCE

Our study reports high psychiatric comorbidity prevalence in epilepsy, which supports the bidirectional link hypothesis. Associated factors found are important in the prognosis and prevention.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

The neural mechanisms underlying epilepsy tend to expose PWE to psychiatric disorders. Our study aims to quantify the rate of psychiatric comorbidities and their predictive factors in Moroccan PWE. The estimated prevalences of significant symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADS were 51.4%, 44.9%, and 51.0%, respectively. Depression was the predictor of anxiety. Antiseizure polymedication and anxiety were the associated factors with depression. The risk of SAD was increased by female gender, antiseizure polymedication, structural epilepsy, and concomitant diseases with epilepsy. Our results are important for considering the psychiatric aspect of PWE and improving their care and quality of life.

Microglia as a Game Changer in Epilepsy Comorbid Depression

As one of the most common neurological diseases, epilepsy is often accompanied by psychiatric disorders. Depression is the most universal comorbidity of epilepsy, especially in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Therefore, it is urgently needed to figure out potential mechanisms and the optimization of therapeutic strategies. Microglia play a pivotal role in the coexistent relationship between epilepsy and depression. Activated microglia released cytokines like IL-6 and IL-1β, orchestrating neuroinflammation especially in the hippocampus, worsening both depression and epilepsy. The decrease of intracellular K+ is a common part in various molecular changes. The P2X7-NLRP3-IL-1β is a major inflammatory pathway that disrupts brain network. Extra ATP and CX3CL1 also lead to neuronal excitotoxicity and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Regulating neuroinflammation aiming at microglia-related molecules is capable of suspending the vicious mutual aggravating circle of epilepsy and depression. Other overlaps between epilepsy and depression lie in transcriptomic, neuroimaging, diagnosis and treatment. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and amygdala enlargement (AE) may be the underlying macroscopic pathological changes according to current studies. Extant evidence shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and antidepressants like selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are safe, but the effect is limited. Improvement in depression is likely to reduce the frequency of seizure. More comprehensive experiments are warranted to better understand the relationship between them.

Depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy and primary headache: a cross-sectional observational study

Background

The primary aims of our cross-sectional observational study were: (i) to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with epilepsy compared to controls and (ii) to explore the difference in depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy only and those with epilepsy and primary headache as a comorbidity. The secondary objective was to explore parental stress levels.

Methods

68 pediatric patients aged 6-18 years (44 with epilepsy only and 24 with epilepsy and headache) and 50 controls were recruited. Depressive profile and parental stress were assessed using Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition (CDI-2) and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF).

Results

The group with epilepsy showed significantly high depressive symptoms and parental stress compared to controls. The patients with headache in comorbidity experienced more depressive symptoms than those with epilepsy only.

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in patients who have comorbid epilepsy and primary headache; therefore, the neurological/psychological mechanisms underlying this condition should be further investigated. The simultaneous presence of epilepsy, headache and depressive symptoms impacts the quality of life of patients and their parents, increasing parental stress and family management.

The therapeutic effects of lacosamide on epilepsy-associated comorbidities

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder associated with severe social and psychological effects, and most epilepsy patients often report at least one comorbidity. Accumulating evidence have suggested that lacosamide, a new generation of anti-seizure medications, may exhibit efficacy in the management of both epilepsy and its related comorbidities. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to elucidate the recent advancements regarding the therapeutic role of lacosamide in epilepsy-associated comorbidities. The possible pathophysiological mechanisms between epilepsy and epilepsy-associated comorbidities have been also partially described. Whether lacosamide improves cognitive and behavioral functions in patients with epilepsy has not been conclusively established. Some studies support that lacosamide may alleviate anxiety and depression in epilepsy patients. In addition, lacosamide has been found to be safe and effective in the treatment of epilepsy in people with intellectual disabilities, epilepsy of cerebrovascular etiology, and epilepsy associated with brain tumors. Moreover, lacosamide treatment has demonstrated fewer side effects on other systems. Hence, future larger and higher quality clinical studies are needed to further explore both the safety and efficacy of lacosamide in the treatment of epilepsy-associated comorbidities.