Many epilepsy syndromes are medically refractory, leading patients to be referred for surgical work-up to control their seizures and improve their quality of life (QOL). Although surgical treatments may reduce or stop seizures, many patients continue to present with declines in mood and/or cognition post-operatively. In addition, pre-operative QOL of patients with medically refractory epilepsy is impacted by executive function (EF). The present study aims to investigate the relationship between post-operative mood/QOL and pre-operative EF in adults with epilepsy. It was hypothesized that mood would remain stable or decline post-operatively; pre-operative EF would be a protective factor for mood decline and QOL.

The sample consisted of 47 adult patients (57.4% female; Age, M= 34.02(11.59)) with medically refractory epilepsy at the UCSF Epilepsy Center. Participants were included if they received surgical treatment for their epilepsy (42.6% right anterior temporal lobectomy [ATL], 46.8% left ATL, 2.1% laser ablation, 6.4% responsive neurostimulation, 2.1% multiple surgical interventions) and received both a pre- and post-surgical neuropsychological evaluation. Most patients were right-handed (95.7% right). Mood and QOL were assessed from pre- and post-operative evaluations using the Beck Depression Inventory- Second Edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Quality of Life in Epilepsy- 31 (QOLIE-31). Executive function was assessed using the Trail Making Test, and the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function Scale (D-KEFS) subtests Color-Word Interference (CW-I) and Verbal Fluency. Descriptive statistics were obtained for each of the measures listed. A paired sample t-test was conducted between time A and B to determine whether mood and QOL were significantly different. Two multiple regressions were conducted. One analysis for post-operative depression and QOL respectively with pre-operative EF.

At time A, both anxiety and depression were minimal (BDI M= 17.8, SD= 10.34; BAI M= 13; SD= 8.94). QOL was borderline clinically significant (QOLIE M= 37.46, SD= 9.74). Depression at time B was positively correlated with depression at time A (r[45]= 0.316, p=0.035). A paired sample t-test indicated that depression and QOL were significantly different at time A and time B (t[44]= 2.04, p= 0.047; t[31]= -3.34, p= 0.002), with improved scores post-operatively. Anxiety was not significantly different across time points (t[39]= 1.20, p=0.238). Multiple regression analyses indicated that pre-operative depression and EF did not predict post-operative depression (F(5,27)= 1.62, p= 0.189). Pre-operative EF (CW-I Inhibition-Switching), but not pre-operative depression, predicted post-operative QOL (F(4(24)= 3.13, p=.03, R2= .343).

Results were somewhat discrepant from prior research in that depression and QOL improved post-surgically. Notably, while the observed change in depression was statistically significant it was not clinically significant according to literature (Doherty et al., 2021). Pre-surgical inhibitory control predicted QOL, illustrating that EF may serve as a protective factor post-surgically. The present study did not include a measure of seizure freedom classification post-operatively, therefore, future studies should investigate how seizure freedom classification impacts the relationship between mood, QOL, and cognitive outcomes.