The effect of being diagnosed with epilepsy
on quality of life
Seizures and epilepsy can have a profound
impact on a person's quality of life. Up
till now, most research on quality of life
in epilepsy has been concerned with the
quality of life of people with already established
epilepsy. As a result, we do not have a
clear understanding of what factors contribute
to changes in quality of life, both good
and bad, that occur from the point of diagnosis
of epilepsy onwards.
Professor Ann Jacoby of the University
of Liverpool has been awarded £57,554
over three years to look at "Quality
of life trajectories for new-onset epilepsy".
She and her colleagues will look at how
quality of life develops after the onset
of epilepsy, and how it is affected by factors
such as
the number of seizures the patient has,
and how successful their treatment is;
how having seizures affects the patient's
social interactions and psychological
state; and
any side effects produced by prescribed
anti-epileptic drugs.
The study will follow the same set of patients
as the recent SANAD study, the largest randomised
trial ever conducted in epilepsy, which
included 2,400 patients. It will follow
all patients for at least four years, collecting
information on their health, everyday functioning
and quality of life, via postal questionnaires.
The aim is to identify how best to support
people, both medically and socially, when
they are first diagnosed with epilepsy.
