EPILEPSY AND NONORGANIC NONAFFECTIVE PSYCHOSIS - NATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY

Background This study tests the hypothesis that epilepsy increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and other non-affective functional p sychoses using a nationwide sample of people with epilepsy Method A re cord linkage study between a sample from the National Patient Register , consisting of 67 116 people with epilepsy, and the Danish Psychiatri c Register identified all people with non-affective psychoses with ons et after the first epilepsy diagnosis. The relation between risk of ps ychiatric disorder in people with epilepsy and the general Danish popu lation was estimated. Results The incidences of the spectrum of non-or ganic non-affective psychosis, non-affective psychosis and schizophren ia were significantly increased both for men and women, even after exc lusion of people diagnosed as suffering from a learning disability or substance misuse. Conclusion This study supports the notion of an asso ciation between epilepsy and the risk of subsequent non-affective psyc hosis.