Clinical studies of adult epilepsy patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Objective To investigate the incidence of adult epilepsy patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the characteristics of ADHD subtypes, and to explore the correlations between several epilepsy-related factors with ADHD. Methods According to corresponding inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, 156 adult epilepsy patients who visited to Neurology Clinic of Zhejiang Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from March 2014 to October 2014 were enrolled as a study group to enter this test. Eighty-six nomal adults were enrolled as the control group who matched for the age, gender, inteligence quotient with the study group. Using the chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis and the other statistical methods to analyze the phenomenon of ADHD in adults with epilepsy and the factors that may contribute to the phenomenon. Results The detection rate of ADHD in 156 adult patients with epilepsy was 26.9%(42/156), significantly higher than that in the heathly control group which was 4.7%(4/86, χ2 =17.862, P<0.05). Symptomatic epilepsy and the electroencephalogram showed multifocal discharge had higher detection rate of comorbid ADHD and the difference was statistically significant (The detection rate of idiophathic epilepsy was 22.1%(21/95), symptomatic epilepsy was 46.7%(14/30), cryptogenic epilepsy was 22.6%(7/31), χ2=7.362, P=0.025. The detection rate of frontal epileptiform discharges was 30.6%(11/36), temporal area was 25.9%(14/54), central area was 18.2%(4/22), multifocal epileptiform discharges was 46.2%(12/26), the normal was 1/18, χ2=10.187, P=0.037). The results of binary Logistic regression analysis showed that epilepsy age of onset (B=-0.889, P=0.049)was possibly an important factor for epilepsy with ADHD. Conclusions The risk of ADHD occurred in adults with epilepsy is higher than that in the healthy adults and attention-deficit is the common subtype. The etiology, age of onset and electroencephalogram features of adults with epilepsy may be associated with the occurrence of ADHD. Key words: Epilepsy; Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity; Adult