A Prospective Cohort Study on the Comorbid Depression in Patients With Epilepsy
A Prospective Cohort Study on the Comorbid Depression in Patients With Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease with recurrent seizures and the comorbidity of
 psychiatric diseases are very common. The prevalence of depression in patients with
 refractory epilepsy is about 60%. However, the early diagnosis is usually difficult due to
 the unclear mechanism and untypical clinical symptoms, and there are no extremely effective
 treatments for depression in patients with epilepsy until now. In this prospective,
 multi-center, cohort study, we aim to investigate and screen two different types of
 depression ("cognitive" and "somatic") in patients with epilepsy by using the combination of
 regular moods evaluating scales and heart rate variability instrument. The intervening
 methods of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and serotonin re-uptake
 inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat the patients with comorbidity of epilepsy and
 depression.
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease with recurrent seizures and the comorbidity of
 psychiatric diseases are very common. The prevalence of depression in patients with
 refractory epilepsy is about 60%. However, the early diagnosis is usually difficult due to
 the unclear mechanism and untypical clinical symptoms, and there are no extremely effective
 treatments for depression in patients with epilepsy until now. In this prospective,
 multi-center, cohort study, we aim to investigate and screen two different types of
 depression ("cognitive" and "somatic") in patients with epilepsy by using the combination of
 regular moods evaluating scales and heart rate variability instrument. The intervening
 methods of combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and serotonin re-uptake
 inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat the patients with comorbidity of epilepsy and
 depression. And resting-state functional MRI will be conducted in patients with the
 comorbidity of epilepsy and depression before and after the combing treatment of tDCS and
 SSRIs.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  meeting the definition of epilepsy according to the new definition issued by ILAE in
 2014

 -  not using antidepressants

 -  acquiring informed consents

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  patients with severe psychiatric symptoms;

 -  progressive brain diseases

 -  malignant tumors

 -  severe cognitive declines