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Written By: Admin | Published : September 29, 2012 5:28 PM IST
Routine screening for psychiatric, cognitive and social problems could enhance the quality of care and quality of life for children and adults with epilepsy, claims a new study conducted by UC Irvine neurologist Dr. Jack Lin and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Amedeo Avogadro University in Italy.
Dr Bruce Hermann, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, writes in the medical journal, The Lancet on epilepsy, that epileptic patients show an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, cognitive disorders and social problems.
Epileptic patients have increased anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, have problems in memory, language or problem solving and experience greater difficulties with employment or personal interactions. There is poor understanding of complexity of relationship between epilepsy and these complications. If left untreated they might present greater problems for a patient, Lin said.
Physicians often focus on seizures while treating those with epilepsy, Lin said. Early detection, treatment and prevention of these issues should also be given priority, Lin added.
"Screening for psychiatric, cognitive and social comorbidities is essential not only in established cases but also with newly diagnosed epilepsy. By doing so, we can ensure that these issues are treated and that patients have a better quality of life," Lin said along with emphasizing on conducting screening prior to any new drug treatment.
Problems that occur in conjunction with childhood and adult epilepsy are referred to by doctors as comorbidities, meaning that they have a greater than coincidental chance of appearing alongside each other though there is not necessarily a causal relationship between them.
Characteristics of epilepsy and the medication prescribed, underlying brain disorders, disturbances of epilepsy-related normal nerve development and aging were possible factors responsible for these disorders occurring together, the study suggests.
