Management of anhedonia after epilepsy surgery

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior reports Vol. 26; p. 100658
• Main Authors: Maria de Araujo Filho, Gerardo, Teixeira, Antonio L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anhedonia; Depression; Epilepsy Surgery; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; Temporal Lobe Epilepsy; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; Anhedonia; Depression; Epilepsy Surgery; Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
• ISSN: 2589-9864; 2589-9864
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2024.100658

•Anhedonia is a symptom commonly associated with epilepsy and depressive disorders.
Anhedonia is clinically defined as difficulty or inability to feel pleasure or to be motivated to perform activities that were previously pleasurable. Anhedonia is a core feature of depressive disorders but can be present in other conditions such as substance use and anxiety disorders. Herein we report the case of a 34-year-old female who developed marked anhedonia after left cortico-amygdalohippocampectomy. Despite optimal seizure control, the person struggled with anhedonia and other depressive symptoms. After ruling out medico-neurologic complications, she was prescribed with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Anhedonia can be a challenging neuropsychiatric presentation that requires ruling out the effects of antiseizure medications, neurosurgery, and other drugs before prescribing antidepressants.