Division of Neurology, Medical Faculty/IKE, Linköping University, Sweden.
Epilepsy Behav. 2011 Dec;22(4):750-8. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.09.007. Epub 2011 Oct 20.
Epilepsy can sometimes be followed by memory impairment. This can result from the underlying cause of epilepsy or from recurrent seizures, or can be a side effect of antiepileptic drugs or a symptom of another disease such as depression. The aim of the study described here was to explore the experience of living with epilepsy and subjective cognitive decline.
To better understand the deeper meaning of the phenomenon, a qualitative design was chosen. Fourteen adults aged 18-35 took part in focus group interviews. The participants were divided into four groups, two groups of women and two groups of men, and the interviews were conducted according to a semistructured protocol. Transcripts were analyzed in accordance with the content analysis guidelines.
Four themes emerged: "affecting the whole person," "influencing daily life," "affecting relationships," and "meeting ignorance in society."
Cognitive decline has a heavy impact on young adults with intractable epilepsy. In contrast to seizures, the cognitive decline is persistent. The themes reflected different hardships faced by the participants. The consequences of living with epilepsy and cognitive impairment concerned education, employment, social life, self-esteem, and hope for the future. The participants were already using strategies to cope with their cognitive decline, but may benefit from help in developing new strategies to better adjust to their memory problems. Development of more educational programs for both people with epilepsy and their relatives could improve their difficult situations. With help, people can learn to adjust their goals in life and live a fulfilling life despite the disease.
癫痫有时会伴有记忆障碍。这种情况可能是由癫痫的根本原因引起的，也可能是由反复发作引起的，也可能是抗癫痫药物的副作用，或者是其他疾病（如抑郁症）的症状。本研究旨在探讨癫痫患者的生活经历和主观认知下降。
为了更好地理解这一现象的深层含义，选择了定性设计。14 名 18-35 岁的成年人参加了焦点小组访谈。参与者分为两组女性和两组男性，访谈根据半结构化方案进行。根据内容分析指南对转录本进行了分析。
出现了四个主题：“影响整个人”、“影响日常生活”、“影响人际关系”和“在社会中遇到无知”。
认知能力下降对患有难治性癫痫的年轻成年人有很大影响。与癫痫发作不同，认知能力下降是持续的。这些主题反映了参与者面临的不同困难。癫痫和认知障碍对受影响者的生活的后果涉及教育、就业、社会生活、自尊和对未来的希望。参与者已经在使用策略来应对认知能力下降，但可能会受益于帮助制定新的策略来更好地适应他们的记忆问题。为癫痫患者及其亲属开发更多的教育计划可以改善他们的困境。在帮助下，人们可以学会调整生活目标，尽管患有疾病，但仍能过上充实的生活。
