10-year follow-up study of epilepsy with psychosis

Individual vulnerabilities to psychosis after antiepileptic drug administration

Background

Psychosis often develops after the administration of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in patients with epilepsy. However, the individual vulnerability and clinical condition of such patients have been rarely scrutinised. We investigated the effect of individually consistent (trait-dependent) and inconsistent (state-dependent) characteristics.

Methods

The individual characteristics, clinical states and psychotic outcome of patients from eight adult epilepsy clinics were retrospectively reviewed over 6-month periods after a new drug (AED or non-AED) administration between 1981 and 2015.

Results

A total of 5018 new drugs (4402 AEDs and 616 non-AEDs) were used in 2015 patients with focal epilepsy. Subsequently, 105 psychotic episodes (81 interictal and 24 postictal) occurred in 89 patients. Twelve patients exhibited multiple episodes after different AED administrations. Trait-dependent characteristics (early onset of epilepsy, known presumed causes of epilepsy, lower intellectual function and a family history of psychosis) were significantly associated with the patients who exhibited psychosis. Absence of family history of epilepsy was also associated with psychosis but not significantly. Subsequent logistic regression analysis with a model incorporating family history of psychosis and epilepsy, and intellectual function was the most appropriate (p=0.000). State-dependent characteristics, including previous psychotic history and epilepsy-related variables (longer duration of epilepsy, AED administration, higher seizure frequency and concomitant use of AEDs) were significantly associated with psychotic episodes. Subsequent analysis found that a model including AED administration and previous psychotic history was the most appropriate (p=0.000).

Conclusion

Psychosis occurring after new AED administration was related to the individual vulnerability to psychosis and intractability of epilepsy.

Interventions for psychotic symptoms concomitant with epilepsy

BACKGROUND

This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 4, 2008.People suffering from epilepsy have an increased risk of experiencing psychotic symptoms. The psychotic syndromes associated with epilepsy have generally been classified as ictal, postictal, and interictal psychosis. Anticonvulsant drugs have been reported to precipitate psychosis. Moreover, all antipsychotic drugs have the propensity to cause paroxysmal electroencephalogram abnormalities and induce seizures.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the benefits of interventions used to treat clinically significant psychotic symptoms occurring in people with epilepsy with regard to global improvement, changes in mental state, hospitalization, behavior, quality of life, effect on the frequency of seizures, and interaction with antiepileptic drugs.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Group's Specialized Register (23 March 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL via the Cochrane Register of Studies Online (CRSO), 23 March 2015), MEDLINE (Ovid, 1946 to 23 March 2015), PsycINFO (1887 to 23 March 2015), CINAHL (1937 to 23 March 2015), and BIOSIS Previews (1969 to 23 March 2015).Two review authors (SF and AS) independently inspected the citations identified from the search. We identified potentially relevant abstracts and assessed full papers for inclusion and methodological quality.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All randomized controlled trials comparing drugs, behavior therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, or other non-pharmacological interventions used to relieve psychotic symptoms in people with epilepsy.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We planned to extract and analyze the data from all relevant studies using standardized methods. As only one study met the inclusion criteria, we attempted no meta-analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

After independently assessing the abstracts and titles of 618 articles, we selected five relevant abstracts. Ultimately we found only one study meeting the inclusion criteria, which was available only as an abstract. This study compared the use of olanzapine (10 mg/day) with haloperidol (12 mg/day) in 16 people suffering from schizophrenia-like psychosis of epilepsy. Thirteen participants completed the study. Significant improvement was associated with use of olanzapine. We did not identify any study on psychosocial interventions in people suffering from epilepsy and psychosis.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found only one randomized controlled trial, which lacked the power to test the efficacy of antipsychotics in those suffering from psychosis concomitant with epilepsy.Limited evidence from this small randomized controlled trial suggests an improvement in psychotic symptoms, but not other outcome measures, with the use of an antipsychotic. The effects on seizure control are not well studied. Further trials are required to inform practice.

Schizophrenia and epilepsy: is there a shared susceptibility?

Individuals with epilepsy are at increased risk of having psychotic symptoms that resemble those of schizophrenia. More controversial and less searched is if schizophrenia is a risk factor for epilepsy. Here we review overlapping epidemiological, clinical, neuropathological and neuroimaging features of these two diseases. We discuss the role of temporal and other brain areas in the development of schizophrenia-like psychosis of epilepsy. We underline the importance of ventricular enlargement in both conditions as a phenotypic manifestation of a shared biologic liability that might relate to abnormalities in neurodevelopment. We suggest that genes implicated in neurodevelopment may play a common role in both conditions and speculate that recently identified causative genes for partial complex seizures with auditory features might help explain the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These particularly include the leucine-rich glioma inactivated (LGI) family gene loci overlap with genes of interest for psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia. Finally, we conclude that LGI genes associated with partial epilepsy with auditory features might also represent genes of interest for schizophrenia, especially among patients with prominent auditory hallucinations and formal thought disorder.