Psych - Neuropsych Flashcards
Epilepsy and Psych Conditions - MDD
If a seizure focus includes the TEMPORAL LOBES or the LIMBIC SYSTEM, can prevent with psychiatric conditions!!!
20-50% suffer from mood disorders –> DEPRESSIVE are the most common
Dx of MDD in epileptics is hard, because some AEDs can cause side effects like lethargy and poor concentration.
What is the ONE effect that will NOT BE CAUSED by AEDs and will be definitively MDD? ANHEDONIA!!!!
Epilepsy and Anxiety
Prevalence is 25% in epileptic populations
Experience panic attacks 6x more frequently than controls
Differentiate a panic attack from a seizure!!! PANIC ATTACKS - patient will be alert while during a SEIZURE - the patient will be alert at first and then progress to impaired
PANIC attacks last for 5-10 minutes
SEIZURES last for ~30 seconds
Epilepsy and Suicide
Patients complete suicide 5-10 more often than the population
Furthermore, COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURE patients have an even higher rate
Treatments for Psych Disorders in Epilepsy?
SSRI and SNRI have shown to DECREASE SEIZURE INCIDENCE
Haloperidol good for seizure-associated psychosis
Many psychotropic meds can INCREASE seizure incidence by lowering seizure threshold!!! Don’t use Buproprion, clomipramine, alprazolam, clozapine & olanzapine (atypicals)
Parkinson’s and Psychiatric Disorders
40% have depression
Often the initial symptom leading to the discovery of PD
Dementia is also present in 30-40% of patients
Depression can overlap with many of the regular PD symptoms! Masked facies, hypophonia (soft speech), bradykinesia can make them look depressed on MMSE
Huntington’s and MS
HUNTINGTON’S – Can be associated with MDD, personality changes, OCD symptoms, and dementia
Treat with SSRI, Buspirone, Mood Stabilizers
MS - can often present in conjunction with depression; 35% of patients present with MDD and depressive symptoms are present in 65-80% of patients; severity of the MDD has no correlation with the severity of the MS
