Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery in Children Through Novel Biomarkers and Enhanced Localization
Published on: September 20, 2024
Effects of psychiatric comorbidities in persons with epilepsy on recurrent emergency department visits
Ashleigh Chuah1, Kan Ding2, Anika Morgado1
1UT Southwestern Medical School, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Background:
Coexisting mental health disorders in persons with epilepsy present as substantial burdens to patients and healthcare systems.
Study Design And Methods:
In this retrospective study, we reviewed 160 patients presenting to a safety net hospital Emergency Department (ED) with seizures to investigate whether differences in clinical workup, follow-ups, and ED visit recurrence existed between epilepsy patients with epilepsy with and without a coexisting psychiatric disorder.
Results:
Patients with epilepsy with a psychiatric comorbidity had more subsequent ED visits (45 % vs 26 %, p = 0.01) and fewer outpatient follow-up opportunities (74 % vs 87 %, p = 0.042) compared to patients with epilepsy without psychiatric comorbidities, highlighting a healthcare gap that needs to be addressed.
Interpretation:
Our findings suggest a need for ED providers to shift their clinical practice in favor of offering more outpatient follow-up opportunities, to ensure long-term management of seizures in patients with epilepsy with comorbid psychiatric disorders.
More Related Videos
09:16Use of a Wireless Video-EEG System to Monitor Epileptiform Discharges Following Lateral Fluid-Percussion Induced Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: June 21, 2019
08:28Methods for ECG Evaluation of Indicators of Cardiac Risk, and Susceptibility to Aconitine-induced Arrhythmias in Rats Following Status Epilepticus
Published on: April 5, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers exert their antiepileptic effects by targeting T-type calcium channels, which are integral to transmitting nerve signals in the central nervous system. These channels allow the passage of calcium ions, which are vital for neuronal communication. By inhibiting T-type calcium channels, calcium channel blockers effectively reduce the release of neurotransmitters and...