Mechanisms of Depression in the Epileptic Brain

Abstract

Abstract Psychiatric illnesses, including depression and anxiety, are highly comorbid with epilepsy. Although the bidirectional relationship between depression and epilepsy has been acknowledged since at least 400 BCE, the incidence and impact of comorbid epilepsy and depression have only been brought to light over the past 20 years, and the mechanisms mediating this comorbidity are just beginning to be explored. This chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of what we know as a field regarding the comorbidity of depression and epilepsy. It will also provide a current assessment of potential mechanisms contributing to this comorbidity.