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Epilepsy - Risk Factors

Description

An in-depth report on the types, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of epilepsy.

Risk Factors:

Epilepsy and seizure disorders affect over 3 million Americans and 45 million people worldwide.

Age

Epilepsy affects all age groups. The incidence is highest in children under the age of 2 and older adults over age 65. In recent years, epilepsy has been decreasing in children while increasing in the elderly, probably because of mild strokes and cardiac arrest.

In children age 10 and younger, generalized seizures are more common; in older children, partial seizures are more common.

Gender

Males have a slightly higher risk than females of developing epilepsy.

Race and Ethnicity

African-Americans and other racial minorities are at higher risk than Caucasians.

Medical Conditions

Individuals with the following medical conditions have a higher than average risk of developing epilepsy:

Children with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, or both
Adults with Alzheimer� ' s disease
Patients who have suffered a stroke

Resources

www.epilepsyfoundation.org -- Epilepsy Foundation
www.aesnet.org -- American Epilepsy Society
www.aan.com -- American Academy of Neurology
www.ninds.nih.gov -- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

References

Christensen J, Vestergaard M, Mortensen PB, Sidenius P, Agerbo E. Epilepsy and risk of suicide: a population-based case-control study. Lancet Neurol. 2007 Aug;6(8):693-8.

Foldvary-Schaefer N, Wyllie E. Epilepsy. In: Goetz C, ed. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd edition. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier. 2007:chap 52.

Freeman JM, Kossoff EH, Hartman AL. The ketogenic diet: one decade later. Pediatrics. 2007 Mar;119(3):535-43.

French JA, Pedley TA. Clinical practice. Initial management of epilepsy. N Engl J Med. 2008 Jul 10;359(2):166-76.

Hemming K, Maguire MJ, Hutton JL, Marson AG. Vigabatrin for refractory partial epilepsy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jul 16;(3):CD007302.

Jette N, Hemming K, Hutton JL, Marson AG. Topiramate add-on for drug-resistant partial epilepsy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jul 16;(3):CD001417.

Johnson MV. Seizures in childhood. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 586.

Krebs PP. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Am J Electroneurodiagnostic Technol. 2007 Mar;47(1):20-8.

Krumholz A, Wiebe S, Gronseth G, et al. Practice Parameter: evaluating an apparent unprovoked first seizure in adults (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology. 2007 Nov 20;69(21):1996-2007.

Kwan P, Brodie MJ. Emerging drugs for epilepsy. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2007 Sep;12(3):407-22.

Leone MA, Solari A, Beghi E; FIRST Group. Treatment of the first tonic-clonic seizure does not affect long-term remission of epilepsy. Neurology. 2006 Dec 26;67(12):2227-9.

Salanova V, Worth R. Neurostimulators in epilepsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2007 Jul;7(4):315-9.

Spencer SS. Seizures and epilepsy. In: Goldman L, ed. Cecil Medicine. 23rd edition. Saunders. 2007.

Tomson T, Hiilesmaa V. Epilepsy in pregnancy. BMJ. 2007 Oct 13;335(7623):769-73.

Reviewed last on: 2/11/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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