(RxWiki News) While individuals with depression are routinely treated for symptoms such fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, irritability, or overall emptiness, depression sufferers may now find yet another reason to seek treatment.
Regardless of a prior history of seizures, researchers have linked epileptic brain activity to symptomatic depression and other psychiatric health disorders. In a report made available by the journal PLoS ONE, scientists investigated whether or not epileptiform activity causes complex psychiatric symptoms.
"Talk with your doctor if experiencing depression symptoms."
In order to determine relation, the bilateral electrodermal activity (EDA) of 79 individuals was monitored. Forty-four unipolar depression patients and 35 disease-free controls underwent EDA measurements to determine the electrical conductivity of the skin as an indicator of emotional response.
No patients showed prior forms of epilepsy or psychotic disorders, and their unipolar depression was treated by serotonin-based antidepressants.
The Beck depression inventory (BDI-II) assessed depressive symptoms while the complex partial seizure-like symptoms inventory (CPSI) qualified epileptic symptoms. A two-channel SAM unit with complementary software recorded EDA measurements.
The results showed CPSI to be highly related to information transfer. Patients with higher levels of CPSI held increased bilateral EDA, as well as higher levels of depression and experienced stress.
Lead author, Petr Bob, working at the Center for Neuropsychiatric Research of Traumatic Stress in Charles University confirms, " according to recent clinical findings, epileptiform activity in temporolimbic structures may cause depressive and other psychiatric symptoms that may occur independently of any seizure in patient's history."
If experiencing intense exhaustion, feelings of helplessness, or loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, talk to a health practitioner about a variety of therapies and treatments that are available.
