ABSTRACT
Epilepsy researchers and clinicians have long been interested in understanding the psychosocial correlates of epilepsy and reducing the negative consequences of epilepsy on cognition, emotional and behavioral status, and social and vocational function. However, while the formal study of quality of life in epilepsy is a relatively recent endeavor (Hermann, 1992; 1995; Perrine et al. ,1995), the last decade has seen a burgeoning interest in this topic. This interest is reflected in the increasing number of research studies focusing on quality of life in epilepsy, the continually expanding array of health-related quality of life measures (see, for example, Devinsky et al. ,1997; Cramer et al. ,1999 and Chapter 5), texts on quality of life in epilepsy (e.g. Chadwick, 1990; Trimble and Dodson, 1994), and formal expressions of continued interest in this line of research by national and international epilepsy organizations. In this chapter we will present a review of the current understanding of the various areas in which epilepsy is thought to affect the quality of life.
