title: Consensus statement: the evaluation and treatment of people with epilepsy and affective disorders.
abstract: Affective disorders in people with epilepsy (PWE) have become increasingly recognized as a primary factor in the morbidity and mortality of epilepsy. To improve the recognition and treatment of affective disorders in PWE, an expert panel comprising members from the Epilepsy Foundation's Mood Disorders Initiative have composed a Consensus Statement. This document focuses on depressive disorders in particular and reviews the appearance and treatment of the disorder in children, adolescents, and adults. Idiosyncratic aspects of the appearance of depression in this population, along with physiological and cognitive issues and barriers to treatment, are reviewed. Finally, a suggested approach to the diagnosis of affective disorders in PWE is presented in detail. This includes the use of psychometric tools for diagnosis and a stepwise algorithmic approach to treatment. Recommendations are based on the general depression literature as well as epilepsy-specific studies. It is hoped that this document will improve the overall detection and subsequent treatment of affective illnesses in PWE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA. jbarry@leland.stanford.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ettinger
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Friel
authors.forename: Frank G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: Cynthia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Harden
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Andres M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kanner
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.forename: Sigita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plioplys
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salpekar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy