30 percent of patients with epilepsy do not respond to drug treatmentwhich can lead to depression and/or anxiety due to the difficulty of these patients to control their crises, which has a direct impact on their quality of life, as experts have warned within the framework of the International Epilepsy Awareness Daywhich is celebrated every March 26.
In this sense, they emphasize that the benefits of non-pharmacological treatments such as ketogenic diet to reduce epileptic seizures and, therefore, contribute to the improvement of the patient’s psychological stability and family well-being.
“Controlling crises has a direct impact on their quality of life, increases their security, they feel better, they go out more to the street, and, consequently, their immediate environment also improves. Everything has a positive influence on the control of the disease”, explained the President of the Spanish Federation of Epilepsy (FEDE), Elvira Vacas.
The Ketogenic Diet
Julián Lara, pediatric neurologist at the Puerta de Hierro Hospital in Majadahonda (Madrid), has highlighted that the ketogenic diet is “a therapeutic option that has demonstrated its effectiveness in almost all types of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes.”
“The ketogenic diet has very good results in seizure control and offers a very low adverse effect profile, less than that of antiepileptic drugs. In addition, it has a good cognitive profile and a large number of patients say they are very satisfied with this treatment,” he added.
complex emotional changes
The emotional changes experienced by these patients after the diagnosis of the disease are complex. “Epilepsy has a direct emotional impact on the patient and her environment in the form of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, insecurity, fear of rejection and social stigma. As a general rule, they go through an acceptance process as in any other pathology, but the handicap, on this occasion, is the little social awareness that exists, which makes it difficult for this process to develop in a stable and satisfactory way”, Vacas pointed out. .
The president of FEDE has insisted that “taking into account the mental health of these patients is a matter of great relevance, since the pathology increases the risk of emotional disturbances and these, in turn, can make the patient more vulnerable to crisis”. “Let’s remember that there are emotional factors that can trigger crises,” she added.
Depression common in people with epilepsy
Depression is the most common psychiatric comorbidity among people with epilepsy, which can worsen their prognosis and quality of life. However, it is underdiagnosed and undertreated.
In this sense, Dr. Lara has argued that “It is an aspect that is not sufficiently addressed in the periodic reviews of patients”. “It would be very useful to use specific scales that are easy and quick to use, as they would allow us to detect and manage this situation early,” he insisted.