Risk factors for behavioral and psychotic dysregulation at the epilepsy monitoring unit in patients with intracranial electrodes

Abstract

Objective: Aberrant behavior in patients with epilepsy (PWE) admitted to an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) can endanger their safety. We sought to identify predictive factors for post-ictal behavioral dysregulation and psychosis in patients with refractory epilepsy being monitored at an EMU.

Methods: Retrospective data were gathered from electronic patient files of all patients with refractory epilepsy who underwent intracranial registration at our EMU. We assessed behavioral and psychotic dysregulations by reviewing clinical notes, administered emergency medication, and reports of injuries or casualties in patients and nurses. In addition, we compared patient demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and antiepileptic drug (AED) profiles between patients with and without behavioral and/or psychotic dysregulation.

Results: Out of 73 admissions, 23 patients (32%) experienced behavioral dysregulation, and five patients experienced psychosis (7%). Behavioral dysregulation was only significantly associated with a previous history of interictal or postictal psychosis. Psychotic dysregulation is significantly associated with a psychiatric history, including a history of agitation or psychosis, whether or not epilepsy-related. For both types of dysregulations, there was no relation with a pre-admission frequency of seizures, clustering of seizures during monitoring, or a temporal focus of seizures. We could not report a relationship between AED use, tapering, and the occurrence of dysregulation.

Conclusion: We conclude that a psychiatric history, including a history of agitation and psychosis, is related to an increased risk of behavioral and psychotic dysregulation in patients undergoing invasive seizure monitoring at the EMU.

Keywords: Agitation; Antiepileptic drugs; Behavioral dysregulation; Epilepsy monitoring unit; Psychosis.