Clinicians need to be aware that patients with severe psychiatric conditions are at an increased risk epilepsy – and vice versa – conclude the authors of the largest study of the bidirectional relationship.
The Swedish study published in Neurology found a two- to three-fold increased risk of developing unprovoked seizures after patients were discharged from hospital following diagnoses of severe anxiety, bipolar, psychosis or depressive disorders.
Analysing a database of almost 2,000 new onset, unprovoked seizures and more than 15,000 controls, the researchers said their study was the first to analyse the time sequence between the onset of seizures and the presence of psychiatric conditions.
“The increased rate of psychiatric comorbidity predating and succeeding seizure onset indicates a bidirectional relationship and common underlying...
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