ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Mood disorders in patients with epilepsy are common, with depression being the most prevalent. However, this comorbidity is often underdiagnosed. The systematic use of scales such as NDDI-E and QOLIE-10 in prolonged video-EEG monitoring units could be a useful tool for the detection of this comorbidity. METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study of a series of patients with epilepsy evaluated in a prolonged video-EEG monitoring unit. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-nine patients were included. The mean age was 49.1 years, and 49.3% were female. 66.2% had focal epilepsy. 20.4% had pharmacoresistant epilepsy. 38.7% of patients had NDDI-E > 13. 43% of patients with focal epilepsy had NDDI-E > 13 versus 21.8% of patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (p = .015). Patients with focal temporal epilepsy had the highest rate of NDDI-E > 13 (48.5%). Significant association was found between patient-perceived mood and NDDI-E score (p < .001). However, in the group of patients with NDDI-E > 13, 37.6% had reported feeling "very good" or "good" in mood. Likewise, in the group that had reported feeling "very good" or "good" 21.6% had NDDI-E > 13. In 50.5% of patients with NDDI-E > 13 some kind of therapeutic intervention aimed at this comorbidity was performed. Perceived quality of life as measured by the QOLIE-10 scale was lower in patients with NDDI-E > 13 (p < .001). SIGNIFICANCE: The use of scales such as the NDDI-E and QOLIE-10 at the time of admission in video-EEG monitoring units allows screening for major depressive disorders in patients with epilepsy, which subsequently needs to be confirmed by formal assessment by a psychiatrist. Their systematic use in these units prevents some patients from going undiagnosed. Detection of these disorders allows targeted therapeutic intervention.
