Evaluation of Quality of Life and Psychiatric Aspects of Children with Epilepsy and Their Families Using Self-assessment Questionnaires

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare sociodemographic characteristics, quality of life, and levels of depression and anxiety of children with epilepsy and their families with a healthy control group.

Materials and Methods

In this study, 60 epileptic children and their families were included. The data of these patients were compared with 51 healthy children and their families. The Children’s Depression Inventory, Beck Depression and Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, KINDL General quality of life scale, KINDL-epilepsy module, and short form-36 were used to determine the depression, anxiety, and quality of life levels of children and parents.

Results

Depression and anxiety scale scores of the epilepsy group were statistically higher than the control group (P < .05). In the epilepsy group, the emotional well-being dimension on the KINDL parent scale and the total health, emotional well-being, family, and friends dimensions on the KINDL child scale were statistically lower than the healthy control group (P < .05). Short form-36 scores of the parents of the epilepsy group were statistically lower than the parents of the control group (P < .05). As the KINDL epilepsy quality of life dimension scores increased, the scores of the parental short form-36 quality of life scale scores increased. KINDL parental total scores were statistically lower in those with comorbidities than those without comorbidities.

Conclusion

Monitoring for psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life status for both the child and the parents is recommended. Also, it should be emphasized that it would be more beneficial to use self-answered scales when assessing the quality of life of epileptic children.

The affective temperament traits and pregnancy-related depression in mothers may constitute risk factors for their children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder

We investigated whether the affective temperaments of mothers and maternal depression before and during the index pregnancy are related to the development of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their children. One hundred and twenty children were screened for the diagnosis of ADHD. After exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied for children and their mothers, we compared the mothers of children with (n = 63) and without ADHD (n = 60) in terms of affective temperament traits, depression before and during the index pregnancy, and some environmental risk factors. The rate of boys were significantly higher among children with ADHD compared to healthy controls. The mothers of children with ADHD had significantly lower education levels, more cigarette consumption during pregnancy, and more depression rates before the pregnancy than those of healthy children. Male gender (p = .002), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) (p = .002), cyclothymic (p = .022), irritable (p = .035) and anxious temperament scores (p = .016) significantly predicted the association between the mothers and their children with ADHD. Our findings might suggest that male child gender, the severity of depression at index pregnancy, higher cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious temperament scores in mothers may constitute as important risk factors for the development of ADHD in their children.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Although the effects of maternal depression on ADHD were extensively investigated, the relationship between affective temperament traits of mothers and ADHD in their children has not been sufficiently examined. To investigate the roles of maternal affective temperament traits and pregnancy-related depression on offspring ADHD would help us to understand the etiopathogenic bases of ADHD.What do the results of this study add? Cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments of mothers were significantly associated with the offspring ADHD after adjusting for the gender, maternal smoking, prepartum and antenatal depression.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? These findings might demonstrate that some maternal affective temperaments and depression during pregnancy are suggestive of an inherited predisposition to ADHD in offsprings. Longitudinal studies are required to demonstrate the relationship between maternal affective temperament features and the development of affective illness in children with ADHD.

Association of SNAP-25 Gene Ddel and Mnll Polymorphisms with Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE

The synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) gene is a presynaptic plasma membrane protein and an integral component of the vesicle docking and fusion machinery mediating secretion of neurotransmitters. Previously, several studies reported association between SNAP-25 and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We investigated whether these SNAP-25 polymorphisms (MnlI T/G and DdelI T/C) were also associated with ADHD in the Turkish population.

METHODS

Our study comprised unrelated 139 subjects who met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD and 73 controls and all were of Turkish origin. Genetic analyses were performed and patients were evaluated with Wender-Utah Rating Scale and Adult ADD/ADHD DSM IV-Based Diagnostic Screening and Rating Scale.

RESULTS

SNAP-25 DdelI polymorphism was not associated with ADHD but there was a statistically significant difference between ADHD patients and controls for SNAP-25 MnlI polymorphism. For SNAP-25 MnlI polymorphism patients with G/G genotype of the SNAP-25 gene MnlI polymorphism had higher Wender-Utah scores and higher scores in the 1st and 3rd parts of adult ADD/ADHD Scale.

CONCLUSION

We detected a significant association of the MnlI polymorphism in our ADHD sample which was similar to previous findings. Our study also revealed that SNAP-25 MnlI polymorphism was also associated with symptom severity of ADHD. This study is also, the first report on the association of SNAP-25 with ADHD in the Turkish population.

EVALUATION OF INTERVENTIONS BASED ON DEPRESSION SIGN SCORES OF ADOLESCENTS

The aim in this study was to compare effects of problem-based group therapy and occupational therapy on depression scores six months after the Marmara earthquake in Golcuk. The study included 187 seventh grade students. Data were collected with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1981, Turkish version by Öy, 1991) and a sociodemographic form. The schools were randomly assigned into two groups, either to receive problem-based group therapy (Group A) or occupational therapy (Group B). CDI was administered before and after the therapies and depression sign scores were recorded. After the first and second sessions of the therapies, there was no significant difference in mean depression scores between both groups, but there was a significant decrease in CDI scores of the adolescents.