Psychological disorders in epilepsy

: Thirty-two patients with idiopathic grand mal, and 32 patients with psychomotor seizures were investigated for interictic mental changes. The assessment by the information provided by the patients themselves were entered into the symptom scales of the Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Scale (IMPS). Some 40% of the patients, with no significant differences between the groups, reveal signs of depression in the IMPS. In comparison with available IMPS group profiles, the depressive disorder proves moderate corresponding rather to the organic or neurotic scale score than to the score achieved by patients with endogenous depression. The incidence of seizures and determinable childhood behavioral disturbances were found to be parameters that had a significant influence on the psychopathological finding, but not the duration of the condition or age at onset.