Epilepsy: relationship between cognitive aspects and body mass index

• Grant number: 20/14055-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2021
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Gloria Maria de Almeida Souza Tedrus
• Grantee: Bárbara Nunes da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências da Vida. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC-CAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Adult patients with epilepsy (PCE) have a series of clinical, cognitive and psychiatric comorbidities, although there are gaps in the knowledge of the relationship between obesity and cognition in PCE. Objective: to evaluate anthropometric indicators and relate them to quality of life (QOL) and to the clinical and cognitive aspects of PCE. Methods: 45 PCE, male, aged between 18 and 50 years seen at the Clinical Neurology outpatient clinic of the Hospital da PUC-Campinas will be evaluated. A control group (CG) will be composed of 25 individuals of equivalent age and without a history of neurological or psychiatric manifestations. The PCE will be evaluated with: anamnesis, sociodemographic evaluation, clinical-neurological examination; mini-mental state examination (MMSE); Brief cognitive battery (BCB); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); Quality of life in epilepsy inventory-31 and with the body mass index (BMI) (weight / height) and anthropometric data. The CG will be subjected to: BMI analysis, socio demographic assessment and cognitive tests (MEEM, BCB). The relationship between BMI measurements with QOL and with the clinical and cognitive aspects in PCE will be studied. The data obtained from the BMI of the PCE will be compared to that of the CG. Statistical tests and significance level p <0.05 will be used.Expected results: We seek to study and correlate clinical and psychosocial aspects with QOL and the occurrence of overweight and obesity in PCE, in our country. It is also expected, when evaluating the correlations between clinical and cognitive aspects, to better understand the neurophysiopathological mechanisms of PCE, and to contribute to the improvement of health conditions, quality of life and cost reduction in the health system and to contribute with relevant scientific data in the area.