[Depressive disorder of the epilepsy patient--symptoms and factors of influence]

Psychiatric disorders in epilepsy are frequently encountered. Contradictory reports are given in literature about the phenomenology of such disturbances and their relationship to seizure frequency. Depression has been described as mostly like "endogenous" with a family history of psychiatric illness or mostly "reactive". 32 patients with idiopathic Grand mal-seizures were studied using the Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Scale (IMPS). They showed significant higher levels in scales of anxious depression and impaired functioning, no signs of hostility or delusion. Severity of depression was moderate compared with groups of inpatients suffering from endogenous and neurotic-depressive disorders. It was correlated with frequency of epileptic seizures and history of behaviour disturbances in infancy (Spearman-rang correlation).