Quality of life in young people with treatment-responsive epilepsy: A controlled study

Objective Quality of life (QoL) has been shown to be lower in individuals with epilepsy than the general public. However, few studies have investigated the QoL of individuals with well-controlled epilepsy. This study investigated the effects of epilepsy on QoL in persons with treatment-responsive seizures, beyond factors directly related to the presence of seizures. Methods Fifty young patients with controlled epilepsy and 102 healthy controls completed a generic, multidimensional, self-report QoL instrument, along with standardized scales assessing anxiety, depression, and other emotional or behavioral difficulties. Results Young people with epilepsy reported increased anxiety (P = 0.037) and more emotional and behavioral difficulties (P < 0.001). Though there were was no difference between the groups in Total QoL score, treatment-responsive epilepsy was associated with lower QoL within the Self domain (P = 0.016). Conclusions Epilepsy may exert a negative influence on QoL in relation to thoughts and feelings about the self in the context of complete seizure remission. Future research should investigate the therapeutic value of interventions targeting detrimental changes to self-perception in young people living with controlled epilepsy.