Effects of Long-Term Video-electroencephalographic Monitoring on Mood in Epilepsy Patients

This study examines changes in mood of 79 epilepsy patients who completed the Profile of Mood States during long-term video-electroencephalographic monitoring (LTM). Statistical linear models included the effects of age, gender, increased seizure frequency, sleep deprivation, and taper of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on mood. Sleep deprivation increased fatigue and decreased vigor from baseline to Day 3, but not from baseline to Day 8 or the final day of the protocol. Taper of AEDs did not adversely affect mood, with removal of phenytoin improving mood. Subjects who had seizures during LTM also improved in mood, becoming less depressed and less fatigued than those who did not have seizures. Overall, our data indicate that LTM does not adversely affect mood. However, in the first few days of LTM, sleep deprivation may produce fatigue and lack of vigor, and should be used only as needed to provoke seizures. (C) 2001 Academic Press