Mental health and quality of life of individuals with epilepsy during the war in Ukraine.

Objective: To investigate the repercussions of the war in Ukraine on people with epilepsy (PWE), focusing on access to health care, seizure control, quality of life (QoL), psychological distress, anxiety, and depression; and to identify the key factors influencing these measures.

Methods: Consecutive PWE, ≥18 years of age, presenting to one of seven health centers across Ukraine were invited to complete a self-administered survey in 2023. The survey gathered information on clinical and demographic aspects, geographic displacement, and access to care and medications.

A multicenter randomized controlled feasibility trial of a digital self-management intervention for adults with epilepsy.

Objective: Self-management interventions may enhance health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in epilepsy. However, several barriers often impair their implementation in the real world. Digital interventions may help to overcome some of these barriers.

Psychobehavioral B-Criteria of Somatic Symptom Disorder Are Associated with Somatic Symptom Reporting in a Large Sample of Psychosomatic Outpatients.

Introduction: Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) as introduced by the DSM-5 is characterized by chronic somatic symptoms not fully explained by underlying pathology and accompanied by psychological factors, the diagnostic B-criteria. These cognitive, affective, and behavioral disturbances are related to increased attention to somatic symptoms. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the association between the B-criteria and high symptom reporting in clinical settings.

[Understanding and explaining functional movement disorders].

Functional movement disorders are not uncommon in neurological consultations, hospitals and emergency departments. Although the disorder can usually be recognized clinically, the communication of the diagnosis is often unsatisfactory. Those affected are indirectly accused of a lack of insight or openness but it is often the doctors who fail to formulate a coherent and comprehensible explanation of the underlying disorder.

Psychological precursors of epileptic seizures.

Psychological stress is the most commonly self-reported precursor of epileptic seizures. However, retrospective and prospective studies remain inconclusive in this regard. Here, we explored whether seizures would be preceded by significant changes in reported stressors or resource utilization.