Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) and epilepsy are disorders commonly seen in the elderly. Many studies have shown that patients with AD are at increased risk for developing seizures and epilepsy. Whereas, patients with specific types of epilepsy, such as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), experience some degree of cognitive dysfunction, questions have been raised as to whether these disorders share some underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms or whether one is an epiphenomenon of the other. In this report, we review some of the available clinical and epidemiologic literature on various aspects of the topic of seizures in AD, including seizure rates and types, risk factors for seizures, electroencephalographic findings, treatment options, limitations, and methodological issues. Overall, multiple aspects of the literature on seizures and epilepsy in AD, including diagnosis, risk factors, the role of EEG in diagnosis, and the response to treatment are not clear and suffer from many methodological limitations and gaps.
Highlights
The diagnosis of seizures in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) is not always easy because the manifestation of partial seizures might be hard to recognize and distinguish from other behaviors common in these patients
We briefly review and comment on studies reporting on the risk of seizures in AD, the possible factors modifying this risk, the role of EEG in the diagnosis of epilepsy and its limitations, the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs and the relationship between seizures and interictal epileptiform activity and AD course
There are no large studies reporting the risk of recurrence of seizures after the first unprovoked seizure in AD, except for few case series that include a small number of Seizures in Alzheimer Disease patients [17]
Summary
The diagnosis of seizures in patients with AD is not always easy because the manifestation of partial seizures might be hard to recognize and distinguish from other behaviors common in these patients. We briefly review and comment on studies reporting on the risk of seizures in AD, the possible factors modifying this risk, the role of EEG in the diagnosis of epilepsy and its limitations, the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs and the relationship between seizures and interictal epileptiform activity and AD course. There are studies in the elderly reporting recurrence risk after the first seizure as high as 80%, probably because the epilepsy in the elderly population is mainly associated with an underlying structural lesion [15].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
