[Assessing activities of daily living in patients with epilepsy].
BACKGROUND
Objective cognitive assessment and subjective self-assessment do not sufficiently reflect actual daily routines and everyday functioning of patients with epilepsy. The study at hand examined whether a questionnaire assessing the activities of daily living provides additional diagnostic information.


METHODS
A total of 180 consecutive patients with epilepsy received a questionnaire addressing (i) mood, (ii) subjective cognitive performance as well as (iii) frequencies of subjective problems in everyday life and (iv) 36 activities of daily living (ADL-Track). Normative data were based on 536 healthy volunteers. Analysis focused on the interrelation among these subjective measures as well as their relation to objective neuropsychological performance.


RESULTS
Compared to the normative sample, social activities, home activities, and mobility were reduced in 25 - 34 % of the patients (OR = 2.07 - 2.79). Frequencies of activities of daily living reflect the results of subjective performance ratings ("attention", "praxia") and objective performance in attention, language, intelligence and memory. A negative mood showed highly significant correlations with subjective complaints and increased the risk of reduced activities by a factor of 2 - 3. Multiple regression analyses explained between 9 - 22 % of the variance of the ADL-Track scales.


CONCLUSIONS
The ADL-Track, a questionnaire on frequencies of activities of daily living, appears more independent from mood than subjective complaints and it shows relevant correlations with subjective and even more with objective cognitive measures. Moreover, it indicates a behavioural domain in epilepsy which is not yet covered by standard diagnostics. When applied longitudinally, the ADL-Track may well turn out to be a valuable longer-term outcome parameter with regard to epilepsy and its treatment.
Klinik für Epileptologie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn. C.Helmstaedter@uni-bonn.de
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Helmstaedter
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Droege
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JA
Witt
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012107:Research Design; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult