Anxiety
Anxiety is a fearful anticipation of impending events. It is associated with epilepsy, but its relationship to epilepsy is unclear. A diagnosis of many chronic diseases, such as epilepsy, can cause anxiety. The patient may become apprehensive in anticipation of an imminent seizure. However, anxiety is more than just an emotional state. Its origins are neurobiological. There are definite indications that the neural pathways that cause seizures also cause anxiety as a symptom. The altered state of consciousness or aura that precedes an epileptic episode is sometimes accompanied by anxiety.
The anxiety associated with epilepsy may also be an adverse effect of medication. In the same way that anti-epileptic drugs modulate ion balances to control seizures, the same mechanism can activate neural pathways to produce feelings of anxiety.
