{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T07:07:32Z","timestamp":1788937652669,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788912000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To investigate the association between large language model (LLM)-assisted support and caregiver burden as well as psychosocial outcomes among family caregivers of patients with epilepsy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This single-center, prospective cohort study enrolled primary caregivers of patients with epilepsy. Participants were classified into an LLM group and a control group based on whether they had used DeepSeek for epilepsy caregiving-related support. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Secondary outcomes included anxiety, depression, perceived stress, social support, quality of life, and caregiving self-efficacy, measured at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. Adjusted generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to evaluate longitudinal associations between LLM use and the study outcomes, and dose-response analyses were performed within the LLM group.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 296 caregivers were included (149 in the control group and 147 in the LLM group). The two groups were comparable at baseline. At 3 months, the LLM group had lower caregiver burden (median ZBI: 23.00 vs. 25.00), anxiety, depression, and perceived stress scores, as well as a higher perceived social support score, than the control group. Adjusted GEE analyses revealed significant between-group differences in changes in caregiver burden and depression at both follow-up assessments and in anxiety, perceived stress, and psychological quality of life at 3 months, favoring the LLM group. Within the LLM group, no significant dose\u2013response associations were observed between weekly usage time or the weekly number of effective conversations and caregiver burden at 3 months.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Among caregivers of patients with epilepsy, use of LLM-assisted support was associated with lower caregiver burden and better psychosocial outcomes over 3 months. LLMs may serve as a low-threshold, scalable supportive tool in epilepsy family caregiving, though further studies are needed to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2026.1912114","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T06:53:16Z","timestamp":1788936796000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Large language model\u2013assisted support among caregivers of patients with epilepsy: associations with caregiver burden and psychosocial outcomes"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Lan","family":"Lin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruixue","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wanhui","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology, The First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1081757","DOI":"10.3389\/fepid.2023.1081757","article-title":"Mortality, and life expectancy in epilepsy and status epilepticus-current trends and future aspects","volume":"3","author":"Trinka","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Epidemiol"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"109179","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2023.109179","article-title":"The impact of epilepsy on quality of life: Findings from a European survey","volume":"142","author":"Strzelczyk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2757","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S430337","article-title":"It goes beyond anxiety: Experiences of family members and caregivers of epilepsy care and support","volume":"19","author":"Musekwa","year":"2023","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seizure.2019.07.008","article-title":"Burden in caregivers of adults with epilepsy in Asian families","volume":"71","author":"Lai","year":"2019","journal-title":"Seizure"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"212","DOI":"10.1097\/NMD.0000000000001436","article-title":"Depression and anxiety in adult persons with epilepsy and their caregivers: a survey-based study at a tertiary care center","volume":"210","author":"Tsamakis","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Nerv Ment Dis"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2018.08.030","article-title":"Effects of family-centered empowerment intervention on stress, anxiety, and depression among family caregivers of patients with epilepsy","volume":"88","author":"Etemadifar","year":"2018","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2017.02.034","article-title":"Systematic review of unmet healthcare needs in patients with epilepsy","volume":"75","author":"Mahendran","year":"2017","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2014.12.029","article-title":"Clearly written, easily comprehended? 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