Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children with severe epilepsy

Abstract

Objectives: To assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children with severe epilepsy and the associations of trauma symptoms across age, comorbid symptoms, epilepsy-specific factors, parental resources, and psychopathology. Methods: Fifty children with severe epilepsy across three different age groups (0-5 yrs., 6-12 yrs., 13-18 yrs.) were assessed with developmental-sensitive and standardized PTSD assessment tools when hospitalized at the tertiary epilepsy center Filadelfia, Denmark. The Diagnostic Infant and Preschool Assessment (DIPA), the Darryl test, and the ITQ questionnaire were used to assess the three age groups, respectively. Results: Twenty-two percent of the overall sample met the criteria for PTSD, with a prevalence of symptoms increasing with age (6%, 28%, and 40%). Comorbid psychiatric symptoms in preschoolers were present in 81% of the children witnessing a high level of distress in this group. Behavioral difficulties were elevated across all three age groups, and 40% of the children with trauma symptoms had a parent with concurrent psychopathology. Conclusion:To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to assess trauma symptoms with standardized tests in children with more complicated epilepsies. Trauma symptoms in the group are high; however, there is a need for larger scale studies and research into trauma symptoms in children with more severe epilepsy than those assessable with the included assessment tools. The trauma perspective in severe childhood epilepsy might further clarify the complex associations of biological and contextual variables that affect the children's life quality and enable better preventative treatment options for this group.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and related psychopathology in parents of children with epilepsy

“…It has been shown that it can lead to psychosocial losses that can disrupt dating behaviors. Moreover, it has been emphasized that these psychological symptoms in the parent can be transmitted to the child directly or indirectly through the influence of the parent's mood, fears, behaviors, or narratives, and may seriously impair the child's function and development [7,8].…”

Mitochondrial Photobiomodulation as a Neurotherapeutic Strategy for Epilepsy

“…Transcranial PBM with near-infrared light at low irradiance (mW/cm 2 ) and high energy density or fluence (J/cm 2 ) modulates neural functions in a non-thermal way that may have therapeutic effects on various neurological disorders ( 2 ). Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by a persistent predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by neurological, cognitive, and psychosocial consequences ( 3 ), in addition to postictal antinociception ( 4 – 7 ) and psychiatric comorbidities ( 8 , 9 ). It is the fourth most common neurological condition in the world.…”