Depression in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy is related to mesial temporal sclerosis

Depression is a frequent psychiatric symptom in epilepsy and has been relat ed to epilepsy of temporal origin, especially of left-sided foci. No study differentiated the precise localization of the epileptogenic lesion within the temporal lobe. Regarding this issue, we evaluated depression assessed b y the Beck Depression Inventory in 60 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, with particular consideration of morphological abnormalities within the te mporal lobe (mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) versus neocortical lesions) an d lateralization of the lesion. Multivariate analyses indicated significant higher depression scores in MTS independent of the lateralization of the l esion. Depression was a good indicator for MTS but not vice versa. Hence, M TS can be discussed as a predisposing factor for the development of mood di sorders in focal epilepsy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.