Researchers have uncovered the effect of depression on epilepsy

A new study has shown that depression doubles the risk of developing epilepsy, and also makes the process of treating the disease more difficult. This was reported on December 8 by Medical Xpress magazine.

"These results highlight the importance of early detection of both diseases and coordinated care from mental health and neurology professionals. The bottom line is that good treatment for depression promotes brain health," said Dr. Howard Goodkin, president of the American Epilepsy Society.

In the first study, scientists based on data collected from eight early analyses found that depression increases the risk of developing epilepsy by 2.4 times. Two large studies involving more than 11,000 people have confirmed that people with depression are subsequently diagnosed with epilepsy.

According to the lead researcher, Dr. Ali Rafati, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the results show a strong association suggesting an increased risk of epilepsy after depression. However, the findings do not state that depression causes the disease.

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For the second study, experts analyzed data from more than 90,000 people who had recently been diagnosed with epilepsy. According to the results, people with depression were 40% more likely to not receive proper help from the first intake of an anticonvulsant drug.

"It is known that people with epilepsy are at a higher risk of mood disorders, but our study reveals new evidence that people with depression are more likely to fail their first course of treatment," said Dr. Samuel Terman, lead researcher and associate professor of neurology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

According to the publication, people with diagnosed depression and epilepsy have psychiatric problems such as anxiety, sleep disorders, psychosis, and bipolar affective disorder. According to the researchers, patients with both diseases are also more likely to have lung and kidney diseases, heart problems, and diabetes.

It is claimed that depression can have a different effect on the treatment of epilepsy - it reduces motivation to continue taking medications, complicating an already difficult treatment regimen or increasing side effects. In addition, the patient may have other neurological diseases that can worsen seizures or impair drug tolerance. In this regard, Terman emphasized the importance of integrating psychiatric care into the treatment of epilepsy.

On November 11, Medical Xpress spoke about the connection between mental illnesses (schizophrenia and depression) and neurological disorders (migraine, stroke and epilepsy). According to the study, these disorders may partially occur based on the same biological processes. At the same time, it was clarified that each disease has its own biological characteristics, despite the genetic overlap.

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