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Background. Over the past decades many Russian and foreign authors have devoted their studies to psychiatric comorbidity and suicidal behaviour in people with epilepsy. It is particularly important to find risk factors to develop suicidal ideation in this group of patients. According to the World Health Organisation, suicide is the second cause of death among patients with epilepsy, especially those under 29 years. Social maladaptation and deviant reactions to isolation within the framework of personality disorder and frustrating elements necessitate strategy development to prevent suicide intentions in this group of patients. Objective: to find risk factors contributing to suicidal behaviour in patients with epilepsy. Material and methods. We examined 102 patients diagnosed with epilepsy and divided them into two groups consistent with the available relevant suicide ideators: Group 1 (reference group) – without suicide ideators (n=73), Group 2 (study group) – with suicide ideators at the time of the study (n=29). We conducted a pathopsychological study using scales and questionnaires. Results. Patients with epilepsy and suicidal ideation are more vulnerable to a wide range of mental health disorders. Behavioural and mood disorders predominate. Risk factors for suicide in this patient cohort relate to a darker outlook on the future and emotional instability. All limits of the antisuicidal behaviour pattern reduced uniformly, except for the Family responsibility. Amidst the severe course of the underlying medical conditions, disharmony is formed in attitude towards the disease. Conclusion. Assessment of the risk factors for the development of suicidal ideation in patients with epilepsy is a challenging multidisciplinary task. Even with relative mental well-being, it is worth focusing on all aspects of quality of life.

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Background. Currently, a great body of data regarding the link between epilepsy and novel coronavirus infection (NCI) has been accumulated. Numerous studies have paid a great attention to rise in frequency and severity of epileptic seizures as well as failure of remission in individuals suffering from epilepsy.Objective: to study clinical and mental changes during NCI in patients with epilepsy.Material and methods. Fifty patients with epilepsy were examined, who were divided into two groups depending on the NCI history: Group 1 (main) – 25 patients undergone COVID-19 in the period from 2020 to 2022; Group 2 (control) – 25 patients not undergone COVID-19 during the same period. Clinical-anamnestic and psychometric methods were used as well as the following scales and questionnaires: National Hospital Seizure Severity Scale (NHS-3), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS), Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20).Results. In patients with epilepsy who had undergone COVID-19, there was a tendency for more frequent epileptic seizures and increased severity of seizure course. Among such patients, mild depression and more severe asthenia, cognitive impairment, moderate sleep disturbances were more common than in the control group.Conclusion. The NCI pandemic has had a pronounced negative impact on the severity of epilepsy (the underlying disease).

Establishing misdiagnosis “epilepsy” is a common event comprising 25% total cases of “pharmacoresistant” forms. Eventually, the majority of cases resulted in diagnosing psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, or functional seizures, conversion seizures, and dissociative seizures. Here we review publications assessing psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. The scientific resources for analysis were selected in Russian (eLibrary) and international (Pubmed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar) databases, as well as in open access resources. We also present a clinical case of a patient diagnosed with epilepsy. In particular, the patient was admitted to the hospital with complains of paroxysmal conditions starting as headache, nausea proceeding with speech arrest and decreased mindfulness of what happens in personal life. He also informed about at least two episodes of disorientation described as “missed public transport stop” and “finding himself in unfamiliar place”. The patient underwent examination (electroencephalography, brain magnetic resonance imaging) and dynamic follow-up to verify origin of such conditions. As a result, he was diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Administering proper therapy allowed to achieve stabilized condition and arrest seizures. The criteria provided in the review as well as clinical case report may help clinical practitioners to timely conduct differential diagnostics and deliver specialized medical aid.