Psychoses in Epilepsy: A Review of Japanese Studies

Is the Psychopathology of Epilepsy Different from That of Nonepileptic Patients?

“…Slater et al noted that 45% of their study patients had chronic courses (61). In addition, in a 10-year follow-up study by Omnuma, 64% of epilepsy-with-psychosis patients had a chronic course that was "comparable or worse than that of schizophrenia" (74). This is in agreement with a study by Matsuura et al, who found that of 128 patients, a chronic course was seen in 34%, another 6% became chronic after recurrent episodes, and another 34% continued with episodic symptoms (75).…”

“…In several studies in the same review by Matsuura and Trimble, patients with TLE and psychosis presented differently than those with psychotic symptoms associated with generalized or frontal lobe epilepsy (74). TLE patients also had a more chronic course.…”

“…Matsuura and Trimble then reviewed those studies that used objective measures (74 Of particular interest is the possibility that psychosis of epilepsy may be a heterogeneous process itself, similar to that seen in schizophrenia. In several studies in the same review by Matsuura and Trimble, patients with TLE and psychosis presented differently than those with psychotic symptoms associated with generalized or frontal lobe epilepsy (74).…”

“…Matsuura and Trimble recently reviewed the Japanese literature on psychosis of epilepsy (74). The phenomenology of interictal psychosis was evaluated in early descriptive studies.…”

Psychosocial and Cultural Aspects of Epilepsy

“…In Africa, Gureje, 1991, examined an unselected sample of 204 patients with epilepsy and noted that 37% were classified as having a psychiatric illness, and in almost a third, this was psychosis. Matsuura & Trimble, 2000, reviewed the Japanese studies that related to psychoses. Prevalence rates of psychosis varied with different institutions, from 0.9 to 9.1%.…”