ArticleJournal of neurosciences in rural practice
Is Depression Related to Low Folate Levels in People with Epilepsy? An Observational Study and Meta-analysis.
Article in Journal of neurosciences in rural practice. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Colorectal polyp risk is linked to an elevated level of homocysteine.Bioscience reports · 2018Pooled it
- Psychiatric and behavioural side effects of antiseizure medications in epilepsy.Journal of neurology · 2025Review
- Folate supplementation as a beneficial add-on treatment in relieving depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses.Food science & nutrition · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBoth depression and low serum levels of folate are common in people with epilepsy (PWE), the latter especially in patients on hepatic enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We did a cross-sectional study and a meta-analysis to assess if lower folate levels have any relation with depression in PWE. MATERIALS AND
methodsTwo hundred and one PWE were recruited and assessed for depression using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Rated (IDS-SR) and Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Clinician Rated; serum folate levels were measured in them at the same time. Literature search was carried out and studies with data on depression as well as folate levels in PWE were included. Statistical analysis to determine frequency of depression, low folate levels, and relation between them among our cases and the pooled data from the included studies was done.
resultsDepression was observed in 65.68% and low serum folate (<4 ng/ml) in 48.75% of PWE (over 80% on older AEDs); there was no statistically significant correlation between them. However, on analyzing the pooled data of six studies including the present, the Fisher's
conclusionsDepression and low folate levels are common in PWE. Low folate levels have a mild but significant negative correlation with depression in this population, and folate supplementation would be advisable for those on the older AEDs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.