Personality Development in the Context of Intractable Epilepsy

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the developmental time frame of epilepsy onset on adult personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion and to consider their role in adjustment to intractable epilepsy. DESIGN: Prospective, preoperative and postoperative survey of the psychological and psychosocial effects of intractable epilepsy and its surgical treatment. Data from the preoperative phase are reported. SETTING: Comprehensive Epilepsy Program (CEP), Austin Health. PATIENTS: Sixty adult patients with focal epilepsy undergoing inpatient monitoring. Groups of patients with epilepsy onset in different developmental periods were empirically derived and compared with each other and with normative per..