Exploring the long‐term effects of COVID‐19 in patients with epilepsy: A multicenter Italian observational study
This study investigated long-term neurological and psychiatric outcomes in people with epilepsy (PwE) after COVID-19 infection. We compared 38 PwE with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection to 92 uninfected controls, matched by age and sex. At 6 months, infected patients showed increased seizure frequency and more psychiatric and neurological symptoms, often requiring treatment. At 12 months, seizure frequency stabilized, but cognitive issues, depression, and insomnia persisted. These findings highlight that while seizure changes may be temporary, COVID-19 has lasting neuropsychiatric effects in PwE, emphasizing the importance of long-term monitoring and individualized therapeutic strategies.
Authors
- Carmen Calvello (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4745-7281)
- Stefano Luca Sensi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0710-2574)
- Giacomo Evangelista (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1828-5345)
- Fedele Dono (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3575-2942)
- Mirella Russo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9937-5923)
- Flavia Narducci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-9054)
- Clarissa Corniello
- Catello Vollono (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9371-8035)
- Claudio Liguori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2845-1332)
Institutions
- University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT)
- Università Campus Bio-Medico (IT)
- Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (IT)
- University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
- Policlinico Tor Vergata (IT)
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Epilepsia Open
- Published
- 2025-08-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/epi4.70108
- Primary Topic
- Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00