Abstracts

Although the quality of life (QOL) of patients with chronic brain damage may reflect common stressing conditions, different facets and determinants may characterize the QOL of patients with different diagnosis. This study evaluated patients with partial epilepsy aiming to compare personal dimensions of their QOL with respect to patients with other chronic brain diseases. Sixty-four adult patients with partial epilepsy (n=36) and other chronic neurological diseases associated with brain lesion (vascular, tumour, or inflammatory) (n=28) were evaluated after informed consent. They reported self-evaluation of QOL, mood and cognitive efficiency using the WHO QOL-100 and Spiritual, Religious and Personal Beliefs scales, Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Multiple Ability Self-Report Questionnaire. Neuropsychological tests assessed reasoning, attention, language, visual perception, memory and executive abilities. T statistics comparing the two patient groups did not show any difference in the total WHO QOL-100 score. On the contrary, significant differences emerged in spirituality dimensions, with minor feelings of peace (p=0.01) and life meaning (p=0.02) in the epilepsy patients, and in neuropsychological performances (p=0.01), with higher scores at attention and praxis tests in the epilepsy patients. Although not significantly so, the epilepsy patients were more anxious and depressed but perceived better cognitive abilities than the other patients. In the epilepsy group, the WHO QOL-100 total score significantly correlated with the feelings of peace (r=0.56, p=0.006), state-anxiety (r=-0.52, p=0.01), trait-anxiety (r=-0.58, p=0.005), and depression (r=-0.62, p=0.002), as revealed by separate Pearson[apos]s tests. In the other patient group, the WHO QOL-100 total score significantly correlated with feelings of life meaning (r=0.47, p=0.01), hope (r=0.536, p=0.003), openness (r=0.61, p=0.001), forgiveness (r=0.49, p=0.008), self-esteem (r=0.62, p[lt]0.001), state-anxiety (r=-0.78, p[lt]0.001), trait-anxiety (r=-0.93, p[lt]0.001), depression (r=-0.79, p[lt]0.001), and the subjective perception of cognitive efficiency (r=-0.65, p=0.006). These preliminary results suggest that QOL, as expressed by a single index, may appear similar in epilepsy patients and patients with other chronic brain diseases. However, they differ in spiritual facets, mood, and cognitive abilities. Even if in both groups mood has a central place in the perception of QOL, the subjective appraisal of health may reflect the interaction of different inner factors. Future studies are needed to determine the spectrum of psychological and spiritual facets relating to epilepsy, promoting specific health interventions.