fMRI Investigation of Depression in Patients With Epilepsy

Depression is very common in epilepsy. Depression is the strongest predictor of poor quality of life in patients with epilepsy. The biological basis for depression in epilepsy remains poorly understood. This study uses functional MRI (fMRI) to examine brain response to emotional and non-emotional stimuli in healthy control subjects and in patients with epilepsy who are either depressed or not depressed. Results from this study will contribute to a better understanding of depression in epilepsy, which may eventually inform development of better treatment modalities..