Biofeedback treatment in patients with refractory epilepsy: Changes in depression and control orientation

Depression is a common and serious interictal problem in patients with epil epsy. The genesis of depressive disorders is multifactorial. One aetiologic al aspect focuses on psychosocial factors. It was hypothesized that uncontr ollable, unpredictable chronic aversive events (i.e. epileptic seizures) re sult in cognitive deficits of external control orientation. If this is true , biofeedback training could represent a possible treatment strategy to low er depression, because biofeedback is known to mediate success experiences and control. Measures of depression and locus of control were administered to 20 patients with refractory partial epilepsy before and after biofeedbac k treatment. The biofeedback consisted of slow cortical potentials or breat hing parameters in 10 patients each. A clear relationship occurred between depression and locus of control in the subjects. After biofeedback training control orientation moved towards a more internal locus of control. Also, depression scores were significantly reduced six months after training. Res ults show that in patients with refractory epilepsy depression is highly co rrelated with locus of control, in a way that external control orientation relates to high depression scores. Biofeedback is able to improve internal control orientation through personal success mediation. (C) 2001 BEA Tradin g Ltd.