Compared with adults without epilepsy, patients with the disorder have significantly higher rates of state and trait anxiety, as well as sleep disorders.
SAN ANTONIO—Patients with epilepsy report a lower quality of sleep, worse personal health, and a higher intensity of anxiety symptoms than do healthy persons, according to the results of a study presented at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society.
“Clinicians treating patients with epilepsy need to be vigilant of these two important comorbidities, which clearly influence the day-to-day lives of those concerned,” stated Gus Baker, PhD, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
The researchers conducted their study among patients who had epilepsy (from two cohorts of hospital patients and members of a patient organization), as well as healthy controls. Questionnaires about levels of anxiety, day- and nighttime sleep disorders, adverse anti-epileptic drug (AED) effects, sense of stigma, levels of social support, and clinical and socio-demographic factors were mailed to all the participants. In total, the investigators collected data from 196 hospital patients, 751 organization members, and 297 controls.
Comparing Patients With Healthy Controls
Overall, patents with epilepsy are more anxious, including both short-term state and long-term trait anxiety, and more likely to report daytime sleep problems. Their self-reported health is poorer, and they generally experience higher levels of symptoms. The healthy group of controls reported all these conditions, but to a significantly lesser extent.
“Patients with epilepsy as a group are socially disadvantaged, compared with controls, in that they are less likely to be married and more likely to be single, less likely to be employed, and more likely to report long-term health problems,” the researchers commented.
Factors Predictive of Anxiety and Sleep Disorders
Dr. Baker’s group also identified contributory factors regarding the incidence of anxiety and sleep disorders among patients with epilepsy. In both cohorts, anxiety was associated with levels of social support, total adverse event profile score, and worries about past or future seizure. Day- and night-time sleep disorders were associated with higher state anxiety scores and adverse event profile scores.
“The study also [helps] identify the nature and prevalence of sleep disorders, which may, in part, be attributable to taking AEDs,” the investigators stated. “This has clinical management implications, of which clinicians may not always be cognizant.
“There is a need to raise awareness of these problems so that due consideration can be given to them when prescribing and evaluating treatment regimes,” the authors concluded.
—Ariel Jones