Assessing Cognition and Quality of Life in People With Epilepsy: A Feasibility Study

Cognitive deficits are a common comorbidity of epilepsy, yet the validity of cognitive tests used for people with epilepsy (PwE) remains understudied. Moreover, clinical risk factors for cognitive impairments in PwE are inconsistent and minimal research has investigated quality of life (QOL) among Canadians with epilepsy. This study assessed the feasibility of a computerized cognitive testing battery called Creyos in PwE, predominantly drug-resistant epilepsy. Additionally, this study used the Neuro-QOL questionnaire and analyzed relationships among cognition, clinical factors, and QOL. Participants performed significantly worse than norms on 11 of the 12 Creyos tasks and subjective cognition, social satisfaction, and anxiety Neuro-QOL domains, although within depression norms. There were no significant relationships between Creyos, Neuro-QOL, and clinical factors. This study was the first to establish feasibility of Creyos in PwE and provided evidence that people with drug-resistant epilepsy are at risk of widespread cognitive and QOL impairments regardless of clinical factors.