e-Article
Rehabilitation in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy: A controlled, 1-year follow-up study on a specialized inpatient rehabilitation program.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Specht U; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Lahr D; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; May TW; Society for Epilepsy Research, Bielefeld, Germany.; Speicher P; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Hausfeld H; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Coban I; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Müffelmann B; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Bien CG; Department of Epileptology, Bethel Epilepsy Center, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.; Society for Epilepsy Research, Bielefeld, Germany.; Hagemann A; Society for Epilepsy Research, Bielefeld, Germany.
Source
Publisher: Blackwell Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 2983306R Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1528-1167 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00139580 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Epilepsia Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of a specialized inpatient rehabilitation program in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy (NDE), who had been referred within 1 year after diagnosis.
Methods: We performed an open, prospective, controlled study comparing a 1-year follow-up assessment of patients with NDE after completing a rehabilitation program at an epilepsy center (rehabilitation group) with a control group of patients with similar epilepsy duration, but without rehabilitation in the first year after diagnosis. Primary outcome measures comprised emotional adaptation to epilepsy, depression and anxiety; and secondary outcome measures were overall quality of life (QoL), overall health, perceived restrictions because of epilepsy, level of information about epilepsy, and employment status.
Results: Comparison of the admission data of 74 rehabilitation group patients (mean age and SD 47.7 ± 13.0 years) with the pre-rehabilitation assessment of 56 control patients (45.5 ± 12.1 years) revealed no significant differences concerning sociodemographic and health data. Comparison of the follow-up assessment of the rehabilitation group and the pre-rehabilitation assessment of the control group showed significantly better values for the rehabilitation group on emotional adaptation to epilepsy (p = .003), overall QoL (p = .006) and overall health (p = .011), perceived restrictions because of epilepsy, and subjective level of information about epilepsy (both p's < .001). There were no statistically significant differences concerning depression and anxiety or employment status (all p's > .50). One year after rehabilitation, patients in the rehabilitation group were more often seizure-free and less often on sickness absence than control group patients (both p's < .001).
Significance: Since reduced QoL shortly after diagnosis of NDE is associated with seizure recurrence, an early identification of patients with a greater need for support seems important. This epilepsy-related rehabilitation program showed lasting effects on several aspects of adaptation to epilepsy and QoL.
(© 2024 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)
Methods: We performed an open, prospective, controlled study comparing a 1-year follow-up assessment of patients with NDE after completing a rehabilitation program at an epilepsy center (rehabilitation group) with a control group of patients with similar epilepsy duration, but without rehabilitation in the first year after diagnosis. Primary outcome measures comprised emotional adaptation to epilepsy, depression and anxiety; and secondary outcome measures were overall quality of life (QoL), overall health, perceived restrictions because of epilepsy, level of information about epilepsy, and employment status.
Results: Comparison of the admission data of 74 rehabilitation group patients (mean age and SD 47.7 ± 13.0 years) with the pre-rehabilitation assessment of 56 control patients (45.5 ± 12.1 years) revealed no significant differences concerning sociodemographic and health data. Comparison of the follow-up assessment of the rehabilitation group and the pre-rehabilitation assessment of the control group showed significantly better values for the rehabilitation group on emotional adaptation to epilepsy (p = .003), overall QoL (p = .006) and overall health (p = .011), perceived restrictions because of epilepsy, and subjective level of information about epilepsy (both p's < .001). There were no statistically significant differences concerning depression and anxiety or employment status (all p's > .50). One year after rehabilitation, patients in the rehabilitation group were more often seizure-free and less often on sickness absence than control group patients (both p's < .001).
Significance: Since reduced QoL shortly after diagnosis of NDE is associated with seizure recurrence, an early identification of patients with a greater need for support seems important. This epilepsy-related rehabilitation program showed lasting effects on several aspects of adaptation to epilepsy and QoL.
(© 2024 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.)