A new study lead by Dr Dale Hesdorffer
of Columbia University, New York, USA reports
that the same brain dysfunction that underlies
epilepsy may also influence suicide risk.
"The assumption has been that having
epilepsy increases the risk of depression
and, in a subgroup, completed suicide,"
states Dr Hesdorffer. However she goes on
to say, "For reasons that are not understood,
depression both increases the risk for developing
epilepsy and is also common among people
with epilepsy who experience many seizures"
"One question we had was whether some
symptoms of depression were more important
than others for increasing the risk for
developing epilepsy. Suicidal thoughts and
suicide attempt were possibilities, because
people with epilepsy seem to be more likely
to commit suicide than the general population.
But we looked at all symptoms of depression."
The study assessed 324 people with epilepsy
and 647 people without the condition. The
researchers found that a history of depression
was associated with an increase in the risk
of epilepsy.
They were also surprised to find that people
with epilepsy were four times more likely
to have attempted suicide before ever having
an epileptic seizure. This was true even
after the researchers accounted for other
factors such as alcohol consumption, age,
gender and depression.
The researchers also found that the presence
of specific depression symptoms didn't predict
a greater likelihood of later epileptic
seizures.
"Increasingly, clinicians treating
people with epilepsy ask about current depression,
but they may not ask about past suicide
attempt or suicidal thoughts," Dr Hesdorffer
said. "Our results may alert clinicians
to the need to ask this question and offer
any needed counseling to prevent the occurrence
of later completed suicide."
Dr Hesdorffer's study
was published in the Annals of Neurology
in January 2006.
