Executive Dysfunction and Depression in Pediatric Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: The Contribution of Hippocampal Sclerosis and Psychosocial Factors.

OBJECTIVES: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) has been identified as a risk factor for increased depression features in children and adolescents; however, less is known regarding specific neurocognitive predictors of depression in this population above and beyond seizure-specific and sociodemographic factors.

METHODS: The study included 62 patients with TLE (64% male) aged 8 to 16 years (M=12.62; SD=2.26) who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation.

RESULTS: Correlation analyses revealed significant association between patient depression and WCST Total Perseverations, BRIEF Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI) and family stress. Perseverative errors on the WCST and the BRI were found to significantly predict depression features in youth with TLE. Patient performance on WCST was also found to fully mediate the significant relationship between hippocampal sclerosis (HS) and depression in pediatric TLE. Finally, logistic regression indicated HS in the presence of TLE was associated with a four-fold risk of clinically significant depression ratings.

CONCLUSIONS: The current findings offer strong support for the relationship between executive function (EF) and depression in pediatric TLE. Also, as HS is not modifiable, these findings suggest EF intervention may be a potential modality for improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in youth with TLE. (JINS, 2018, 24, 606-616).