Research use of the new quality-of-life in epilepsy inventory.

Epilepsy is a heterogeneous disease with variable onset and prognosis. In general, patients with epilepsy have neuropsychological impairments. Their educational and occupational achievements may be lower than might be expected for their level of cognition. Some epilepsy patients suffer emotional distress, interictal behavioral disorders, and extreme social isolation. It is obvious that epilepsy and its sequelae impact on the patient's quality of life. What is not clear is the degree to which different factors contribute and the causes for extreme variance across patients. For example, the patients' perceptions of their disease affects quality of life more than actual seizure severity, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are not known. Quality-of-life research in epilepsy is in its infancy. In the future, such research will play an important role in assessing patient suffering, demonstrating the efficacy of treatments and interventions, and influencing medical economic decisions.