{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T04:52:07Z","timestamp":1791348727817,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"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>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Epilepsy in the pediatric population is frequently associated with psychiatric comorbidities. Depression is of particular clinical significance given its elevated incidence and substantial impact on quality of life, treatment adherence, and psychosocial functioning. The prevalence of depression in children with epilepsy ranges from 7% to 14%, considerably higher than the 1\u20135% reported in the general pediatric population. The relationship between epilepsy and depression appears bidirectional: epilepsy predisposes to depressive disorders, and depression may increase seizure risk, suggesting shared neurobiological pathways. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in pediatric patients with epilepsy, with particular focus on depressive symptomatology, and to examine associations with etiological and clinical variables.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This retrospective study included 240 pediatric patients (aged 2\u201318 years) diagnosed with epilepsy between 2013 and 2024. Psychiatric symptoms were ascertained retrospectively from clinical records. Patients were categorized into two groups: those with an identified genetic and\/or structural abnormality (G1,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 60) and those without (G2,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 180). Statistical analysis employed the chi-squared test and Student\u2019s\n                      <jats:italic>t<\/jats:italic>\n                      -test (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.05).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Psychiatric symptoms were identified in 30% of patients (72\/240, 95% CI 24.2\u201335.8%). The most prevalent disorder was attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD;\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 30), followed by sleep disturbance\/asthenia (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 19), aggression\/temper tantrums (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 13), depressive\/mood symptoms (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 11), anxiety symptoms (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 10), autism spectrum disorder (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 6), eating behavior alterations (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 4), self-harm (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 4), adjustment\/self-esteem features (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 3), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD;\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 3), panic attacks (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 2), and suicide attempts (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 2). Psychiatric symptoms were significantly more prevalent in G1 (42%, 95% CI 29.2\u201354.1%) than in G2 (26%, 95% CI 19.7\u201332.5%;\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.03), corresponding to an odds ratio of 2.02 (95% CI 1.10\u20133.72). No significant associations were found between psychiatric symptoms and age, sex, family history, or treatment regimen.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Psychiatric comorbidities, including depressive symptomatology, are common in pediatric epilepsy and likely associated with underlying neurobiological factors. These findings support integrating neuropsychiatric screening, using validated instruments such as the Children\u2019s Depression Inventory-2 (CDI-2) and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy\u2013Youth version (NDDI-E-Y), into routine epilepsy care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2026.1951989","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T04:46:47Z","timestamp":1791348407000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Psychiatric comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy: a single-center retrospective study highlighting the burden of depressive symptoms"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Arianna","family":"De Leonardis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome","place":["Rome, Italy"]},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Perugia","place":["Perugia, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Spalice","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome","place":["Rome, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Verrotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Perugia","place":["Perugia, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabella","family":"De Rosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome","place":["Rome, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simone","family":"Aloisio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome","place":["Rome, Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"499","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(06)68182-8","article-title":"Epilepsy in children","volume":"367","author":"Guerrini","year":"2006","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1002\/mrdd.10035","article-title":"The epidemiology of the epilepsies in children","volume":"8","author":"Cowan","year":"2002","journal-title":"Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm8010039","article-title":"Epilepsy in children: from diagnosis to treatment with focus on emergency","volume":"8","author":"Minardi","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Clin Med"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1639","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1528-1167.2007.01154.x","article-title":"Behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy: toward an integrative model","volume":"48","author":"Austin","year":"2007","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1111\/dmcn.14387","article-title":"Longitudinal trajectories of depression symptoms in children with epilepsy","volume":"62","author":"Rosic","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dev Med Child Neurol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2015.02.036","article-title":"Key issues in addressing the comorbidity of depression and pediatric epilepsy","volume":"46","author":"Salpekar","year":"2015","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-020-01195-8","article-title":"Psychiatric comorbidities in pediatric epilepsy","volume":"22","author":"Dagar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Psychiatry Rep"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2019\/2571368","article-title":"Assessment and management of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents with epilepsy","volume":"2019","author":"Plevin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Behav Neurol"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2003.08.016","article-title":"Depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy","volume":"4","author":"Plioplys","year":"2003","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2773","DOI":"10.2147\/NDT.S192714","article-title":"Monitoring and managing depression in adolescents with epilepsy: current perspectives","volume":"15","author":"Coppola","year":"2019","journal-title":"Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"775781","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2021.775781","article-title":"Temporal lobe epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidity","volume":"12","author":"Vinti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Neurol"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1002\/epi4.13122","article-title":"Psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy: a narrative review","volume":"10","author":"Cappelletto","year":"2025","journal-title":"Epilepsia Open"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107681","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2020.107681","article-title":"Executive function and depressed mood are independently disruptive to health-related quality of life in pediatric temporal lobe epilepsy","volume":"115","author":"Schraegle","year":"2021","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"708","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seizure.2013.05.008","article-title":"Severity of depressive symptomatology and functional impairment in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy","volume":"22","author":"Pereira","year":"2013","journal-title":"Seizure"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2006.11.013","article-title":"Structural and functional neuroimaging correlates of depression in temporal lobe epilepsy","volume":"10","author":"Richardson","year":"2007","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"475","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.12550","article-title":"ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy","volume":"55","author":"Fisher","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eplepsia"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"512","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.13709","article-title":"ILAE classification of the epilepsies: position paper of the ILAE Commission for Classification and Terminology","volume":"58","author":"Scheffer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110234","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2024.110234","article-title":"Beyond seizures: psychiatric comorbidities in children with epilepsy","volume":"163","author":"Ayoub","year":"2025","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.1177\/15357597241250159","article-title":"Common ground: we can comprehensively treat pediatric epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidities","volume":"24","author":"Salpekar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Epilepsy Currents"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107443","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2020.107443","article-title":"Screening for suicidality and its relation to undiagnosed psychiatric comorbidities in children and youth with epilepsy","volume":"113","author":"Dagar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.1007\/s00415-025-12961-0","article-title":"Elevated suicide risk in individuals with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"272","author":"Rafati","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Neurol"},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"404","article-title":"Attempt to suicide in young ages with epilepsy","volume":"22","author":"Zamani","year":"2012","journal-title":"Iran J Pediatr"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2011.09.004","article-title":"Suicidality in temporal lobe epilepsy: measuring the weight of impulsivity and depression","volume":"22","author":"De Oliveira","year":"2011","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"286","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2010.04.018","article-title":"Suicidality and brain volumes in pediatric epilepsy","volume":"18","author":"Caplan","year":"2010","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2013.09.020","article-title":"Screening for suicidal ideation in children with epilepsy","volume":"29","author":"Jones","year":"2013","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.13786","article-title":"Neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy: role of inflammation","volume":"58","author":"Mazarati","year":"2017","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"55","DOI":"10.1007\/s40272-020-00428-w","article-title":"Drug treatment of epilepsy neuropsychiatric comorbidities in children","volume":"23","author":"Holmes","year":"2021","journal-title":"Paediatr Drugs"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"168","DOI":"10.1186\/s40001-024-01751-5","article-title":"Analysis of related factors for neuropsychiatric comorbidities in children with epilepsy","volume":"29","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur J Med Res"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1177\/0734282911426407","article-title":"Test review: children's depression inventory 2 (CDI 2)","volume":"30","author":"Bae","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Psychoeduc Assess"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2014.12.021","article-title":"Depression screening in pediatric epilepsy: evidence for the benefit of a behavioral medicine service in early detection","volume":"44","author":"Guilfoyle","year":"2015","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1265","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.13446","article-title":"Development and validation of the NDDI-E-Y: a screening tool for depressive symptoms in pediatric epilepsy","volume":"57","author":"Wagner","year":"2016","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pedhc.2019.07.004","article-title":"Standardized screening for depression in pediatric epilepsy","volume":"34","author":"Fecske","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Pediatr Health Care"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3155","DOI":"10.1111\/epi.18116","article-title":"Consensus-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with epilepsy: a report from the psychiatric pediatric issues task force of the international league against epilepsy","volume":"65","author":"Valente","year":"2024","journal-title":"Epilepsia"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"417","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yebeh.2007.01.004","article-title":"Sertraline and fluoxetine: safe treatments for children and adolescents with epilepsy and depression","volume":"10","author":"Thome-Souza","year":"2007","journal-title":"Epilepsy Behav"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Neurology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fneur.2026.1951989\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T04:47:00Z","timestamp":1791348420000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fneur.2026.1951989\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fneur.2026.1951989"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fneur.2026.1951989","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-2295"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-2295","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"article-number":"1951989"}}