Dissociation in patients with epilepsy and functional seizures: A narrative review of the literature.

Dissociation is a "disruption of the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity or perception of the environment" according to DSM-5.  It is commonly seen in psychiatric disorders including primary dissociative disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and panic disorder. Dissociative phenomena are also described in the context of substance intoxication, sleep deprivation and medical illnesses including traumatic brain injury, migraines, and epilepsy.

Peri-Ictal Changes in Depression and Anxiety in Persons With Epileptic and Non-epileptic Seizures.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that epileptic, but not non-epileptic, seizures would produce an improvement in comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms in the peri-ictal period, much like the antidepressant effects of electroconvulsive therapy.

Methods: We examined depression and anxiety symptoms in patients admitted to an inpatient unit for continuous video electroencephalography as part of routine clinical care. Patients completed three questionnaires that included the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI), Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) after admission, in the 24 h following a seizure, then again 2 weeks after the last seizure.