title: A new Italian instrument for the assessment of irritability in patients with epilepsy.
abstract: The purpose of the work described in this article was to analyze the psychometric properties of a new Italian instrument for the assessment of irritability in adult patients with epilepsy (I-Epi). Five hundred four patients from nine secondary and tertiary Italian centers for the care of epilepsy were recruited and interviewed. Each patient was evaluated on a series of demographic and clinical variables recorded before administration of the I-Epi and the AQ (Aggression Questionnaire), used for external validity. The final results supported the reliability and validity of the I-Epi as a measure of irritability in the adult epilepsy population. The psychometric characteristics of the I-Epi seemed fairly good. We believe that adoption of this new instrument could be very useful in both clinical and research management of patients with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center, Neurology II, St. Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy. ada.piazzini@ao-sanpaolo.it
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piazzini
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Edefonti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bravi
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Canevini
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferraroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood / Q000502:physiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires