Personality psychopathology in temporal lobe epilepsy: An Arabian study

Previous research has linked epilepsy of the temporal lobe (TLE) with comorbidities of psychiatric nature, yet few studies have investigated personality psychopathology in patients with TLE. This is the first study on the topic in the Arab world and the first study using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief From (PID-5-BF). Thus, this study, which is cross-sectional by nature, aims to explore the potential relationship between TLE and personality psychopathology.

Utilizing the validated Arabic version of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 - Brief Form (PID-5-BF), this study compared average total scores and domain scores among 24 TLE patients and 48 controls from the general population, using the Independent Samples t-test. Binary logistic regression used to assess the impact of gender and age on personality psychopathology in both the TLE and control group.

Following adjustment for age and gender, notable disparities emerged in average total scores (p < 0.001), as well as negative affect (p < 0.0001), disinhibition (p < 0.04), and psychoticism scores (p < 0.01), with TLE patients exhibiting higher scores across these domains with a score of 1.28, 2.00, 1.08 and 1.25 respectively compared to controls with a score of 0.85, 1.08, 0.69 and 0.69 respectively. Nevertheless, analyses investigating age and gender as predictors for personality psychopathology yielded non-significant results in both groups.

The study hints at a possible positive link between TLE and personality psychopathology, possibly attributable to limbic system involvement. This is the first study of its kind in the Arab world, highlighting a neglected topic in the region. While these results hold clinical implications, further research is warranted to validate these relationships.