Emotional Reaction to viewing one's own epileptic seizure

If consciousness or memory are impaired during an epileptic seizure, the patient may not experience or know how his/her own seizure looks like. It is disputed, whether being confronted with own seizures may lead to emotional stress or empower patients and decrease negative psychosocial consequences. We assessed patients' reactions to watching a video of their own seizure on measures of anxiety, depression and ten emotions.

Forty-three patients (mean age 38, range 18-70 years, 21 male, 22 female) undergoing diagnostic video-EEG monitoring were included in this prospective study. Before (T1), immediately (T2), several days (T3) and three months after video presentation (T4), participants completed questionnaires including an emotion rating, a depression and an anxiety questionnaire (NDDI-E, State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory).

Depression scores showed no changes over time. Anxiety decreased briefly a few days after video-presentation (T3) and returned to initial scores at the follow-up (T4). There were transient changes regarding four emotions. Sadness, surprise and embarrassment showed significant increases directly after video presentation (T2) as well as happiness a few days later (T3). In subsequent assessments, all four emotions had returned to or below baseline. A subgroup analysis comparing partial versus secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures showed a decrease of depression and state-anxiety in the partial seizure group.

Viewing one's own seizure did not induce depressive reactions or persistent anxiety symptoms. Transient emotional reactions were observed. Differential effects depending on the seizure type presented are of relevance for the setting of presentation, therapeutic and educational approaches.