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Chapter 2 - Neuropsychiatric Issues for Women with Epilepsy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2024

By
Dilip Koshy  and
Benjamin Tolchin
Edited by
Esther Bui  and
P. Emanuela Voinescu
Esther Bui
Affiliation:
Toronto Western Hospital
P. Emanuela Voinescu
Affiliation:
Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
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Summary

The overall prevalence of neuropsychiatric comorbidities in people with epilepsy is estimated at 30−50% and there has been a bidirectional etiological relationship proposed between epilepsy and a number of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, psychosis, and suicidality, evidenced in part by the increased incidence of these disorders both before and after epilepsy onset. Women with epilepsy (WWE) are at higher risk than their male counterparts for developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but also psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). This risk varies throughout their life span, due in part to the influence of sex hormones. Additionally, special treatment considerations must be made when treating these conditions pharmacologically at various reproductive stages.

Type
Chapter
Information
Women with Epilepsy
A Practical Management Handbook
 , pp. 25 - 45
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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