Depression in adults with epilepsy: Relationship to psychobiological variables

AIM: To characterize the relationship between depression and epilepsy-related seizures, treatment, hormonal and biological variables. METHODS: Included were 200 Egyptian adults (male = 100, female = 100) with epilepsy (mean age: 30.87 ± 7.88 years; duration of illness: 13.89 ± 7.64 years) and 100 healthy matched subjects for comparison. Psychiatric interview, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) were used to assess depression and anxiety. Blood levels of free testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, prolactin, free thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone, serotonin, noradrenaline and adrenaline neurotransmitters were measured to assess endocrine and biological states. RESULTS: Patients had higher rates of depressive disorder (25.5% or 51/200), mostly intermixed with anxiety (47.06%), psychotic features (19.61%), aggression (40%) and suicide (55%). Compared to controls, higher scores on the BDI-II were observed with right-sided epileptic foci (P = 0.011), polytherapy (P = 0.001) and lack of control on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (P = 0.0001). Patients had lower levels of serotonin (P = 0.001) [marked with depression (P = 0.012)] and adrenaline (P = 0.0001), while noradrenaline was lower with temporal lobe epilepsy (P = 0.039), left-sided foci (P = 0.047) and lack of control on AEDs (P = 0.017). Negative correlations were observed between levels of serotonin and BDI-II (P = 0.048) and HAM-A (P = 0.009) scores, but not with AEDs dose or drug level. CONCLUSION: Comorbid depressive disorder with epilepsy appears to be closely related to seizure type, focus, side, intractability to medications and neurotransmitter changes. Thus, optimizing seizure control and early recognition and management of depression is necessary to improve patients’ quality of life.     

神经内科患者伴发抑郁状况与用药情况的横断面调查

目的 调查综合医院神经内科患者伴发抑郁症状的发病及诊疗情况。方法 2010年4月28日至5月21日期间30家综合医院神经内科的1281名患者连续入选参与调研。采用医院焦虑抑郁量表（Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,HAD）进行筛查。结果 神经内科患者中,44.0%（564/1281）为卒中患者,其既往使用抗抑郁药的比例为6.7%（38/564）;非卒中患者中,既往使用抗抑郁药的比例为17.4%（125/717）;入院后,卒中患者伴发抑郁的比例为50.0%（282/564）,非卒中患者伴发抑郁的比例为47.7%（342/717）;用药的构成比中,舍曲林用药率最高。结论 神经内科患者伴发抑郁的比例较高,尤其是卒中患者,但识别率和治疗率都很低,应该引起高度重视。     

Depression in a community-dwelling sample of older adults with late-onset or lifetime epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders of late adulthood, yet little research has examined the impact of epilepsy in an older population, particularly in relation to depression. It has been argued that the symptomatology of interictal depression closely resembles that of dysthymia; however, our understanding of depression in older people with epilepsy is generalized from younger populations. This study examined the prevalence and symptomatology of depression, using both self-report and clinical interview, in a community-dwelling group of older adults with epilepsy compared with an age-matched control group. An additional aim of the study was to determine if a self-reported history of depression was a predictor of late-onset (after 55 years) epilepsy. Among the epilepsy group, 40.6% reported symptoms of depression that were congruent with dysthymic-like disorder of epilepsy; however, no relationship was apparent between prior depression and late-onset epilepsy.     

抑郁自评量表和贝克抑郁量表区分抑郁症严重程度的准确度

目的 对抑郁自评量表和贝克抑郁量表诊断抑郁症和区分抑郁症严重程度的准确性进行 评价。方法 选取 2018 年 8 月至 2020 年 8 月在重庆市精神卫生中心就诊的门诊和自愿住院 200 例以情 绪和睡眠问题为主诉的患者,以 ICD-10 的条目标准进行抑郁症的诊断和抑郁症严重程度的评估,同时 完成抑郁自评量表和贝克抑郁量表的评定,采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线下面积评价两个抑郁量表 的准确性。结果 抑郁自评量表和贝克抑郁量表具有明显的相关性（r=0.848,P＜ 0.001）,两个量表诊断 抑郁症和区分抑郁症严重程度的 ROC 曲线下面积差异无统计学意义（P＞ 0.1）。随着抑郁程度的加重, ROC 曲线下面积逐渐增大（0.754/0.761～0.904/0.911）,Youden 指数逐渐增加（0.498/0.403～0.768/0.751）, 阳性似然比逐渐增加（2.71/2.14～9.63/10.1）,阳性预测值逐渐增加但不理想（17.2%/17.8%）。结论 抑郁 自评量表和贝克抑郁量表诊断抑郁症和区分抑郁症严重程度的准确性相当,且抑郁程度越重,两种量 表的评定就会越准确,两种量表有特定的使用目的和特定的人群,不能随意推荐使用。     

Depression screening for patients with epilepsy in a primary care setting using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy

Depression among people with a diagnosis of epilepsy is under-recognized. General practitioner (GP) screening for depression using a new scale developed specifically for patients with epilepsy, the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E), has not before been reported. The aims were to examine the process of GP screening for depression in patients with epilepsy employing the widely used Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) and the NDDI-E; to determine the impact of screening on GP-recognized depression; and to ascertain depression predictors. Patients were screened via their GPs. A subset of participants underwent clinical interview to assess screener accuracy. Use of either instrument almost doubled the proportion of GP-recognized depression. Ninety-four percent of those interviewed found screening acceptable. More recent and frequent seizures predicted screening positive. The results suggest that screening for depression in patients with epilepsy via GPs improves detection of depression and is acceptable to interviewed patients.     

Depression and anxiety in a Portuguese MS population: associations with physical disability and severity of disease

In cerebral ischemia, transmission by the inhibitory neurotransmitter, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is altered. This study was performed to determine whether blockade of GABA(A) receptor would affect regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in a focal ischemic area of the brain. Rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and mechanically ventilated. Fifteen minutes after a permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, one half of the rats were infused with bicuculline 1mg/kg/min iv for 2 min followed by 0.1mg/kg/min iv to the end of the experiment. The other half were infused with normal saline. At one hour after MCA occlusion, rCBF was determined using 1?C-iodoantipyrine and BBB permeability was determined by measuring the transfer coefficient (Ki) of 1?C-α-aminoisobutyric acid. With MCA occlusion, rCBF was decreased in the ischemic cortex (IC) (-70%) in the control rats. In the bicuculline treated rats, the rCBF of the IC was lower (-48%) than the contralateral cortex but higher than the rCBF of the IC of the control rats (+55%). MCA occlusion increased Ki in the IC of the control rats (+72%) and bicuculline administration increased Ki further (+53%) in the IC. Blockade of GABA(A) receptors did not significantly affect rCBF or BBB permeability in the non-ischemic brain regions under isoflurane anesthesia. Our data demonstrated that blockade of GABA(A) receptors increased rCBF and enhanced the BBB disruption in focal cerebral ischemia. Our data suggest that GABA(A) receptors are involved, at least in part, in modulating rCBF and BBB disruption in focal cerebral ischemia.     

Depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy

Depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy is a common but often unrecognized disorder. Both epilepsy and depression are characterized by a chronic course and poor long-term psychosocial outcome. The risk of suicide is even greater in depressed youth with epilepsy than in the general youth population. Educating parents about mood disorders may allow them to be more receptive to psychiatric treatment for their child or themselves. Epidemiological and clinical data on depression in children/adolescents with epilepsy are presented. Seizure-related and general risk factors for the development of depression in youth with epilepsy are reviewed. General guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of depression in children and adolescents are discussed. The early identification and treatment of childhood-onset depression is an important clinical task for all pediatric specialists. Safe and effective multimodal treatment approaches are available.     

Disease severity in children and adults with Pompe disease related to age and disease duration

Information about 255 children and adults with Pompe disease was gathered through a questionnaire. Disease severity was associated with disease duration and not with age; an early manifestation of the disease implied earlier wheelchair or ventilator dependency. The patient group under age 15 included a subgroup with a more severe and rapid course of the disease. They require more intensive follow-up and early intervention, before irreversible damage has occurred.     

Depression in Alzheimer's disease: Phenomenological features and association with severity and progression of cognitive and functional impairment

Seventy-eight outpatients with a clinical diagnosis of dementia in Alzheimer's disease according to the ICD-10 draft research criteria were investigated with annual evaluations over a period of 2 years to study the phenomenology and association with severity and progression of cognitive and functional impairment of depression in Alzheimer's disease. As measured by the Dementia Mood Assesment Scale (DMAS), depressive symptoms occurred frequently, such as decrease in motor activity, lack of responsiveness, agitation and depressed appearance. Multiple stepwise regression demonstrated that decrease in motor activity and lack of responsiveness were the strongest contributors to an association of depressive symptoms with severity of cognitive and functional impairment. The global score of the DMAS mood subscale was not related to dementia severity. There was no relation between depressive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease and the rate of cognitive and functional decline within a 12-month and 24-month observational period. Our results suggest that depressive symptoms are frequent concomitants of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Depressive symptoms are in part associated with a greater severity of cognitive and functional impairment in Alzheimer's disease. However, depressive symptoms, unlike other non-cognitive psychopathological symptoms, for example psychotic phenomena, are not prognostically relevant with respect to a lower or higher rate of symptom progression.     

Psychosocial,Physical, and Autonomic Correlates of Depression in Korean Adults: Results from a County-Based Depression Screening Study

Objective

We aimed to investigate the prevalence and psychosocial and neurophysiological correlates of depression in a large county-based cohort of Korean adults.

Methods

We recruited 2355 adults from a rural county-based health promotion program. The following psychometric scales were used: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to evaluate stress, and the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) was used to determine perceived social support. Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to assess neurophysiological properties. The psychosocial and neurophysiological variables of adults with depression (CES-D score ≥25) and without depression (CES-D score <25) were statistically compared. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify factors independently associated with depression.

Results

We estimated that 17.7% of the subjects had depression, which was associated with old age, being female, being single, less religious affiliation, high education, low body mass index (BMI), low levels of aerobic exercise, low social support, and a low HRV triangular index. The explanatory factors of depression included high education, less religious affiliation, low levels of current aerobic exercise, low BMI, and low social support.

Conclusion

Given the relatively high prevalence of overall depression, subsyndromal depression should also be regarded as an important issue in screening. The independent factors associated with depression suggest that practical psychosocial intervention, including brief psychotherapy, aerobic exercise, and other self-help methods should be considered. In addition, the HRV results suggest that further depression screening accompanied by neurophysiological features would require fine methodological modifications with proactive efforts to prevent depressive symptoms.     

Determinants and detection of low body mass index in community-dwelling adults with Alzheimer's disease

OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion of older adults with Alzheimer's disease presenting to a geriatric clinic with low body mass index (BMI), the proportion of these individuals recognized by clinicians as malnourished, and what patients' characteristics and caregivers' and clinicians' impressions are associated with low BMI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: An outpatient geriatric clinic located in a university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 340 patients with Alzheimer's disease, average age 75 years. MEASUREMENTS: Individuals with a BMI below 21 were considered at risk of malnutrition. Physical examination and medical information were obtained from patients and caregivers by clinicians using a standardized assessment protocol. Clinicians' impression regarding evidence of malnutrition was obtained. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (16%) had a BMI below 21. Clinicians reported evidence of potential malnutrition in 11 patients, 8 of whom had a BMI below 21. Using logistic regression, we found that women were five times more likely to have a BMI below 21 than men, and that individuals with low cognition were twice as likely to have a BMI below 21 than individuals with higher cognition. CONCLUSION: The proportion of patients with Alzheimer's disease with a BMI below 21 is similar to that encountered in the general population aged 65+. However, clinicians have difficulty identifying persons at risk of malnutrition according to BMI status. Women with low cognition were at increased risk of having a low BMI. Improvement in the detection of malnutrition is desirable. Further exploration of causal links between cognition and malnutrition is required.     

Depression and inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease: findings from the Heart and Soul Study.

BACKGROUND: Depression and inflammation independently predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Depression has been associated with elevated levels of inflammation in otherwise healthy patients without known CHD. However, studies investigating the link between depression and inflammation in patients with established CHD have produced inconclusive results. METHODS: We sought to examine the association of major depression with inflammation in 984 outpatients with established CHD from the Heart and Soul Study. We assessed current major depression with the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule and collected venous blood samples for measurement of five inflammatory biomarkers (white blood cell count, CD40 ligand, C-reactive protein [CRP], fibrinogen, and interleukin-6 [IL-6]). We used multivariate analysis of variance to examine the association of current depression with inflammatory markers, adjusted for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Of the 984 participants, 217 (22%) had current major depression. Depression was not associated with increased levels of any inflammatory marker. Contrary to our hypothesis, depression was associated with lower levels of CRP (p = .09), fibrinogen (p = .006), and IL-6 (p = .007) in both unadjusted and adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that current depression is associated with greater inflammation in outpatients with CHD. Inflammation is unlikely to explain the adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with depression in patients with established CHD.