[Description of mood disorder in patients with epilepsy].

Prevalence of depression among the people with epilepsy is between 40 and 75%, which is higher than in population and among the patients with other chronic illness. Higher percentage of suicides and hospitalizations due to affective disorders make the diagnosis and evaluation of risk factors very important for further treatment. The following study has been performed on the group of one hundred patients with epilepsy lasting more than 5 years, aged 16-55, who were hospitalized or consulted in 2001 year. Depression was diagnosed on the basis of ICD-10 diagnostic scheme using Beck, Hamilton and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scales. Patients were divided into three groups (with depression, dysthymia and controls). For statistical analysis chi2 (Fisher exact test) and Mann-Whitney test were used. Comparing to controls, the complex partial seizures or simple partial and complex ones were seen more often in patients with depression (p < 0.003) and in patients with dysthymia comparing to controls ones (p < 0.001). All types of epileptic seizures analyzed during one month revealed statistically significant differences between the groups (Mann-Whitney test: controls vs dysthymic ones p < 0.02; controls vs depression ones p < 0.03). Simple partial seizures and (or) complex partial ones and high percentage of complex ones were found to be statistically significant risk factors for depression and dysthymia.