Psychiatric issues in epilepsy: the complex relation of mood, anxiety disorders, and epilepsy

The comorbid psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy have been neglected for a long time. And yet, epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of mood, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Furthermore, the relation between psychiatric disorders and epilepsy is complex, as illustrated by the relation between mood disorders and epilepsy. The aim of this article is to summarize the most relevant data on the complex relation between mood disorders and epilepsy, which extends to anxiety disorders and which can be explained by the existence of common pathogenic mechanisms shared by these three conditions. The significance of such a relation is not only theoretical, but has a marked impact on the response to pharmacological and surgical treatment of seizure disorders.