INTRODUCTION: The relationship between psychiatric disorders (PD) and epilepsy is among the most frequent and important aspects of epileptology. PD are present in all epileptic syndromes and contribute to increase the difficulties in treating these patients. OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the classifications for the PD in epilepsy and highlighted the proposal by the ILAE Commission on Neuropsychiatry. CONCLUSION: The classification proposal by the ILAE attempted to separate disorders comorbid with epilepsy and those that reflect ongoing epileptiform activity from epilepsy-specific disorders and are based on clinical and descriptive symptoms rather than in etiological classification. It also presents clear and operational criteria that could be of greater utility for future studies of PD in epilepsy.
Psychiatric disorders; epilepsy
