Self-reported attention and hyperactivity symptoms among adults with epilepsy

Abstract: Background Patients with epilepsy (PWE) frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders, the most common of which are depression and anxiety. Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD) is also more frequent among PWE, though that condition has been scarcely studied among the adult PWE population. Objective This study aimed to compare the presence of ADHD symptoms between adult PWE and the general population. Methods This was an observational case-control study. Ninety-five adult PWE from a tertiary center in southern Brazil were compared with 100 healthy controls. All subjects were submitted to three structured scales: 1) the World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale version 1.1 (ASRS); 2) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and 3) the Adverse Events Profile (AEP). Dichotomic variables were analyzed through chi-square test and Fisher's exact test, as appropriate, and non-parametric variables were analyzed through the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Medians and interquartile ranges (IR) were: 1) ASRS: 26.00 (IR: 18 to 38) among PWE versus 17.00 (IR: 11 to 24) among controls, p < 0.001; 2) HADS: 14.00 (IR: 8 to 21) among PWE versus 11.00 (IR: 8 to 16) among controls, p = 0.007; 3) AEP: 3800 (IR: 31 to 49) among PWE versus 33.00 (IR: 23 to 43) among controls, p = 0.001. Conclusion PWE showed a higher burden of symptoms of ADHD, depression, and anxiety when compared with controls, which replicates in the Brazilian population the findings of current literature that point toward a higher prevalence of such disorders among PWE.

Object Details

• Alternative title: Sintomas de desatenção e hiperatividade autorrelatados entre adultos com epilepsia
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Self-reported attention and hyperactivity symptoms among adults with epilepsy ; volume:82 ; number:01 ; year:2024 ; pages:001-007 ; Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria ; 82, Heft 01 (2024), 001-007

Contributors, Places and Time

• Contributor: Bergamaschi, Eduardo de Novaes Costa ; Machado, Gabriela ; Rodrigues, Gabriel Martins ; Lin, Katia

Further information

• DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1779298
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2404181101436.107857501704
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:51 AM CEST