Alexithymia, Temperament and Character Traits in Patients with Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a frequent chronic disease characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions. Due to chronic nature and functionality loss, a variety of psychiatric disorders may occur concurrently. In diseases like epilepsy, psychiatric disorders may disrupt both quality of life, social and family functionality and make the illness more resistant. Common psychiatric disorders in patients with epilepsy include depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. In addition, personality disorders and alexithymic features characterized by difficulty in recognizing and expressing feelings can also be observed. Similar dysfunctions and lesions are detected in the brains of alexithymic and epileptic patients and it has been reported that epileptic patients have difficulties in expressing thoughts and feelings as patients with alexithymia. There are few studies regarding epilepsy, temperament and character traits, alexithymia and on what level do these aspects effect the disease. Here we aimed to review effects and presence of alexithymia and temperament-character traits in patients with epilepsy.

Keywords

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Epilepsi Hastalarında Aleksitimi, Mizaç ve Karakter Özellikleri

Abstract

Epilepsi, bilinç kaybı ve konvülsiyonlarla karakterize, sık görülen kronik bir hastalıktır. Kronik yapısı, işlevsellikte yol açtığı kayıplar nedeniyle, çeşitli psikiyatrik bozuklukları da beraberinde getirebilmektedir. Psikiyatrik bozukluklar ise, epilepsi gibi hastalıklarda hem yaşam kalitesini, hem sosyal ve ailesel işlevselliği bozarak hastalığı daha dirençli hale getirebilmektedir. Epilepsi ile beraber görülen ruhsal bozukluklar arasında depresyon, duygudurum bozuklukları, anksiyete bozuklukları ve dikkat eksikliği ve hiperaktivite bozukluğu gibi hastalıklar yeralmaktadır. Bunun yanısıra kişilik bozuklukları, duyguları tanıma ve ifade etmekte zorlanma gibi aleksitimik özellikleri beraberinde gösterebilmektedir. Aleksitimik ve epileptik hastaların beyinlerinde benzer işlevsel bozukluk ve lezyonlar saptanmış ve epileptik hastaların aleksitimik hastalar gibi düşünce ve duygularını ifade etmede zorluk çektiği bildirilmiştir. Epilepsi ile mizaç ve karakter özellikleri ile aleksitimik özelliklerin ruhsal açıdan hastalığa ne düzeyde etki ettiğini gösteren az sayıda çalışma vardır. Bu yazıda aleksitimi, mizaç ve karakter özelliklerinin epilepsi hastalarındaki varlığını ve etkisinin gözden geçirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Keywords

• Epilepsi, aleksitimi, mizaç ve karakter

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