Epilepsy and behaviour

Whilst behaviour disorder is so commonly a challenge to physicians in the field of epilepsy, comparatively little is known of its exact association with the epilepsies. This review highlights advances in knowledge, focussing on a broad definition of behaviour to include psychiatric pathology.

Differential rates of disturbance appear to be associated with concurrent intellectual disability. Advances in imaging, in particular, suggest that structural brain changes may underlie the increased susceptibility in some epilepsy patients.

Clinical practice should recognize that, with the possible exception of seizure freedom in postictal behavioural disturbance, epilepsy treatment alone is unlikely to treat the associated psychological and behavioural disturbance. Research continues to focus on assessing the correlates of epilepsy and psychopathology whilst the association between epilepsy and behaviour disorder in people with an intellectual disability remains largely unknown.