Anxiety symptoms in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy versus generalized epilepsy

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of anxiety symptoms between patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) and generalized epilepsy (GE). METHODS Forty and 78 patients with FLE and GE respectively were enrolled in the study. Anxiety symptoms were measured with the Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) and the anxiety subscale of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADSA). RESULTS Compared to the GE group, the FLE group had significantly higher HARS (10.9±8.7 vs. 7.9±6.8, p=0.039) scores. Significant correlations were also found between anxiety symptoms and epilepsy-related variables, particularly with the seizure frequency and the number of currently taken anti-epileptic drugs. CONCLUSION Anxiety symptoms are more common in patients with FLE in comparison to those with GE. Further studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between anxiety symptoms and FLE.