HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLINICAL VARIABLES EPILEPSY WITH COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE IN PATIENTS WITH DRUG-RESISTANT EPILEPSY

Issues in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy are important due to their impact
on quality of life and the course of the disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
relationship between epileptic clinical variables with cognitive function and emotional disturbance in
patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted randomly on 35 patients with
drug-resistant epilepsy at age range (18-25) who referred to State Welfare Organization of Ardabil in
the summer of 2017 who responded to questioners based on demographic and clinical characteristics of
the disease. In order to evaluate the cognitive function, the Wisconsin Card Sorting (WCST) and Rey–
Osterrieth complex figure (RCFT) Test, and emotional disturbance analysis from the Lvynda Scale were
used. The age of onset and the duration of the disease in patients with age of onset (5-10) and the duration
of the disease (less than 10 years) were examined.
Results: The findings of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between clinical
variables of epilepsy with cognitive function and emotional disturbance (p<0/01). Also, according to the
regression analysis, the number of antiepileptic drugs and seizure had the potential to predict cognitive
function and emotional disturbances in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The number of antiepileptic
drugs was more likely to predict cognitive function and emotional disturbance.
Conclusion: Clinical variables of epilepsy are effective in cognitive function and emotional disturbance
in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Identifying this variable is the goal of implementing appropriate
therapeutic interventions in order to improve the quality of life and the process of disease