Prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with epilepsy attending the epilepsy clinic at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, UAE: A cross-sectional study.

Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy (PWE), with prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 55%. Unfortunately, the rates, patterns, and risk factors have not been well studied in the Middle East and, to our knowledge, have not been studied at all in the UAE. We screened 186 patients attending an epilepsy clinic using standardized screening tools to determine the rates of both depression and anxiety and compared these rates with that of age- and sex-matched controls. Almost one-third of our patients scored in the depression and anxiety ranges, which was significantly higher compared with the age- and sex-matched controls. Using a multiregression model, none of the studied variables were associated with an increased risk of having either disorder. Depression or anxiety symptoms independently and significantly increased the risk of association with the other disorder. Almost two-thirds of patients with depression and anxiety were not prescribed antidepressant or antianxiety medications.

Midwakh-induced seizures: case series from UAE.

Drug-induced seizures are rare causes of hospital admissions (Coleman, 2004). Various classes of drugs are reported to induce seizures either directly, due to their epileptogenic potential or due to drug withdrawal effect, or indirectly, due to systemic and CNS-related side effects (Thundiyil et al., 2011). Midwakh is commonly used among young Emiratis. However, its CNS-related adverse effects are not well studied. We report seven consecutive patients with a history of seizures provoked by smoking midwakh and a negative workup for epilepsy. Six of these patients had no further seizures after they had agreed to discontinue smoking midwakh.

Potential factors impacting health-related quality of life among patients with epilepsy: Results from the United Arab Emirates.

PURPOSE: to investigate potential factors impacting HRQOL among PWE at a medical facility in the UAE. METHODS: Depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life were assessed in 160 adult patients with epilepsy from September 2014 to January 2015 at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC). The World Health Organization Quality of Life abbreviated scale (WHOQOL-BREF), the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item (PHQ-9) depression scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven-item (GAD-7) scale were administered. Demographic details including psychosocial factors were also obtained. Clinical details including seizure freedom, epilepsy type, epilepsy duration, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results were recorded. Multivariate analysis was used to look at significant variables associated with HRQOL. RESULTS: Depression, anxiety, seizure freedom, and the use of anti-depressants had significant positive correlation with HRQOL in univariate analysis. However, depression, followed by seizure freedom, had the strongest association with HRQOL in a multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Depression and seizure freedom, followed by anxiety and anti-depressants use, were significantly correlated with HRQOL. These results underscore the importance of screening for psychiatric comorbidities in patients with epilepsy. IMPLICATIONS: Screening for comorbid psychiatric disorders should be an essential component of the standard of care, and incorporated in the treatment plan for all patients with epilepsy. Factors contributing to psychiatric symptoms among PWE, such as maladaptive illness perceptions, non-adherence to anti-epileptic drugs (AED), and social stigma should be carefully addressed to achieve an optimal health-care plan.

Depression and anxiety as determinants of health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis - United Arab Emirates.

To study the impact of depression and anxiety on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) in the UAE. All consecutive patients attending the MS clinic over a fourmonth period, October 2014 through February 2015, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical city (SKMC) were asked to complete The World Health Organization quality of life abbreviated scale (WHOQOL-BREF), the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item (PHQ-9) depression scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven-item (GAD-7) scale. These last two scales were used to screen for depression and anxiety disorders respectively. The study looked at significant variables associated with HRQOL, using multivariate analysis. Eighty patients were enrolled in the study. Both anxiety and depression had a strong positive correlation with HRQOL in univariate analysis. However, depression was the strongest predictor of HRQOL in the patients using linear multi-regression analysis. Screening and timely treatment of both anxiety and depression in MS patients should be a recommended policy when managing pwMS to improve their optimal care and ensure better quality of life.

VNS terminating refractory nonconvulsive SE secondary to anti-NMDA encephalitis: A case report.

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANRE) has been previously reported as a rare cause of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is generally considered as a palliative treatment for patients with drug-resistant partial-onset epilepsy. Here, we report a case of refractory NCSE that was terminated after vagus nerve stimulator implantation. To our knowledge, similar cases have not been reported previously.

Depression and Anxiety among Patients with Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis: UAE Comparative Study.

Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy (PWE), with prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 55%. The cause of this increased rate is multifactorial. Depression and epilepsy are thought to share the same pathogenic mechanism. Anxiety, on the other hand, seems to have a prevalence rate among PWE comparable to, or even higher than, those reported for depression, and it is closely linked to epilepsy. To test this hypothesis, we screened for depression and anxiety 186 and 160 patients attending the epilepsy and MS clinics, respectively, using standardized screening tools to determine the rates of both depression and anxiety, comparing these rates to 186 age, sex matched controls. Among the three groups, only patients with epilepsy were at increased risk of having depression (OR = 1.9), whereas anxiety was not. This finding could point to the shared pathogenic mechanisms hypothesis between depression and epilepsy.

Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Attending the MS Clinic at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, UAE: Cross-Sectional Study.

Depression and anxiety are reported to be prevalent in patients with MS, with prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 50%. Unfortunately, the rates, patterns, and risk factors are not well studied in our Middle East region, and, to our knowledge, not at all in UAE. Using standardized screening tools, we observed that 17% and 20% of 80 patients seen in MS clinic had scores consistent with major depression and anxiety disorders, respectively, at a rate that was not statistically different when compared to age and sex matched controls. None of the studied variables including duration of the disease, EDSS scores, age, gender, and the level of education had any significant correlation with the rates of both disorders. Almost two-thirds of the patients with scores consistent with major depression and anxiety were not on antidepressant and antianxiety medications.