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Grigg-Damberger M, Foldvary-Schaefer N. Hypoxia not AHI in adults with sleep apnea midlife markedly increases risk of late-onset epilepsy-Carosella CM et al Sleep apnea, hypoxia, and late-onset epilepsy: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study SLEEP-2023-0175.R1. Sleep 2024; 47:zsad252. [PMID: 37777197 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer
- Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Sleep Disorders and Epilepsy Centers, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Stefan H, Michelson G. Late onset epilepsy and stroke: Diagnosis, pathogenesis and prevention. Seizure 2024:S1059-1311(24)00168-7. [PMID: 38918106 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2024.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The association of stroke and late-onset epilepsy (LOE) is discussed with special regard to its diagnosis, pathogenesis, and prevention. In addition to epidemiological data, including those from different age groups, the mechanisms for the development of acute symptomatic and remote symptomatic seizures are reviewed. The risk factors associated with seizures and post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) are considered, along with the methodological limitations of the study. For future research, the distinction between acute and remote symptomatic seizure before or after seven days from stroke onset should be reviewed because different acute symptomatic seizures (ASSs) themselves can entail a variable PSE risk. The definition of LOE by age is hitherto inconsistent. Comparing adult lifespan epochs, it is evident that stroke and seizures exhibit similar prevalence profiles. Young adulthood, old adulthood, and elderly epochs may be relevant for the differentiation of LOE subtype by age, vascular comorbidity, and other characteristics. A step-scheme strategy as a possible contribution to cerebrovascular prevention approaches is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Stefan
- Department of Neurology, Biomagnetism, University Hospital Erlangen, Germany; Private Practice, 50, Allee am Röthelheimpark, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Georg Michelson
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Erlangen, Germany; Private Practice, Parcside, 2, Am Stadtpark, Nuremberg, Germany
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Kamondi A, Grigg-Damberger M, Löscher W, Tanila H, Horvath AA. Epilepsy and epileptiform activity in late-onset Alzheimer disease: clinical and pathophysiological advances, gaps and conundrums. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:162-182. [PMID: 38356056 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has demonstrated a link between Alzheimer disease (AD) and epilepsy. Late-onset epilepsy and epileptiform activity can precede cognitive deterioration in AD by years, and its presence has been shown to predict a faster disease course. In animal models of AD, amyloid and tau pathology are linked to cortical network hyperexcitability that precedes the first signs of memory decline. Thus, detection of epileptiform activity in AD has substantial clinical importance as a potential novel modifiable risk factor for dementia. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiological evidence for the complex bidirectional relationship between AD and epilepsy, examine the effect of epileptiform activity and seizures on cognition in people with AD, and discuss the precision medicine treatment strategies based on the latest research in human and animal models. Finally, we outline some of the unresolved questions of the field that should be addressed by rigorous research, including whether particular clinicopathological subtypes of AD have a stronger association with epilepsy, and the sequence of events between epileptiform activity and amyloid and tau pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Kamondi
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Wolfgang Löscher
- Department of Experimental Otology of the ENT Clinics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A. I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Andras Attila Horvath
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Helmstaedter C, Lutz T, Wolf V, Witt JA. Prevalence of dementia in a level 4 university epilepsy center: how big is the problem? Front Neurol 2023; 14:1217594. [PMID: 37928163 PMCID: PMC10623304 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1217594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship between epilepsy and dementia is currently a topic of great interest. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of dementia diagnoses among patients of a large level 4 university epilepsy center. Methods In this retrospective monocentric study conducted at the Department of Epileptology of the University Hospital Bonn, we searched for dementia-related terms in a total of 145,501 medical letters from 40,360 adult patients who were seen between 2003 and 2021. Files with at least one hit were selected and analyzed with regard to diagnoses, age, age at epilepsy onset, and the question as to whether epilepsy preceded or followed the dementia diagnosis. Results Among the medical letters of 513 patients, dementia-related terms were found. The letters of 12.7% of these patients stated a dementia diagnosis, 6.6% were suspected of having dementia, 4.9% had mild cognitive impairment, and 6.6% had other neurodegenerative diseases without dementia. Taking all 40,360 patients into account, the prevalence of diagnosed or suspected dementia was 0.25%. An older age (≥60 years) and late-onset epilepsy (≥60 years), but not a longer epilepsy duration, increased the odds of dementia by 6.1 (CI 3.5-10.7) and 2.9 (CI 1.7-4.7), respectively. Additionally, vascular, metabolic, inflammatory, and behavioral mood-related comorbidities were commonly observed. Epilepsy tended to precede (23.2%) rather than follow (8.1%) the dementia diagnosis. Conclusion Despite the clear limitations of a selection bias and the potential underdiagnosis of dementia and underestimation of its prevalence when relying on the medical letters from a specialized center which rather focuses on epilepsy-related issues, the findings of this study offer valuable insights from the perspective of an epilepsy center. In this setting, the prevalence of dementia in epilepsy is rather low. However, physicians should be aware that the risk of dementia is higher in the elderly, in late-onset epilepsies, and when comorbid risk factors exist. Seizures can also be an early sign of a neurodegenerative disease. Future research should explicitly screen for dementia in patients with epilepsy and stratify them according to their underlying pathologies and comorbidities.
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Hickman LB, Stern JM, Silverman DHS, Salamon N, Vossel K. Clinical, imaging, and biomarker evidence of amyloid- and tau-related neurodegeneration in late-onset epilepsy of unknown etiology. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1241638. [PMID: 37830092 PMCID: PMC10565489 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1241638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests amyloid and tau-related neurodegeneration may play a role in development of late-onset epilepsy of unknown etiology (LOEU). In this article, we review recent evidence that epilepsy may be an initial manifestation of an amyloidopathy or tauopathy that precedes development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Patients with LOEU demonstrate an increased risk of cognitive decline, and patients with AD have increased prevalence of preceding epilepsy. Moreover, investigations of LOEU that use CSF biomarkers and imaging techniques have identified preclinical neurodegeneration with evidence of amyloid and tau deposition. Overall, findings to date suggest a relationship between acquired, non-lesional late-onset epilepsy and amyloid and tau-related neurodegeneration, which supports that preclinical or prodromal AD is a distinct etiology of late-onset epilepsy. We propose criteria for assessing elevated risk of developing dementia in patients with late-onset epilepsy utilizing clinical features, available imaging techniques, and biomarker measurements. Further research is needed to validate these criteria and assess optimal treatment strategies for patients with probable epileptic preclinical AD and epileptic prodromal AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Brian Hickman
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, UCLA Seizure Disorder Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - John M. Stern
- Department of Neurology, UCLA Seizure Disorder Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Daniel H. S. Silverman
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Noriko Salamon
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Keith Vossel
- Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Huang L, Fu C, Li J, Peng S. Late-onset epilepsy and the risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:1771-1779. [PMID: 35428922 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-022-02118-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with dementia have higher risk of epilepsy. However, it remains not comprehensively evaluated if late-onset epilepsy (LOE) is associated with higher risk of dementia. We, therefore, performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the association. METHODS Relevant cohort studies were identified by search of electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. A randomized-effect model incorporating the possible between-study heterogeneity was used to pool the results. RESULTS Overall, seven cohort studies including 873,438 adults were included, and 16,036 (1.8%) of them had LOE. With a mean follow-up duration of 8.7 years, 33,727 of them were diagnosed as dementia. Pooled results showed that LOE was associated with a higher risk of dementia (risk ratio [RR] 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.04-2.81, p < 0.001, I2 = 67%). Results of subgroup analysis showed that the association between LOE and the risk of dementia was stronger in hospital-derived participants (RR 4.23, 95% CI 2.67-6.70, p < 0.001) than that in community-derived population (RR 2.25, 95% CI 1.93-2.63, p < 0.001; p for subgroup difference = 0.01). Pooled results of three studies showed that LOE was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease (RR 2.35, 95% CI 1.08-5.08, p = 0.03, I2 = 85%). One study suggested a significant association between LOE and risk of vascular dementia (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.77-2.26, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Evidence from cohort studies suggests that LOE may be a risk factor of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, No. 65 Wenxing Street, Cuiping District, Yibin City, 644000, Sichuan, China.
| | - Chi Fu
- Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, No. 65 Wenxing Street, Cuiping District, Yibin City, 644000, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, No. 65 Wenxing Street, Cuiping District, Yibin City, 644000, Sichuan, China
| | - Shijun Peng
- Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, No. 65 Wenxing Street, Cuiping District, Yibin City, 644000, Sichuan, China
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Chu C, Li N, Zhong R, Zhao D, Lin W. Efficacy of Phenobarbital and Prognosis Predictors in Women With Epilepsy From Rural Northeast China: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study. Front Neurol 2022; 13:838098. [PMID: 35250838 PMCID: PMC8889069 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.838098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the efficacy of phenobarbital (PB), factors associated with it, reasons for early treatment termination, and mortality rates in adult women living in rural Northeast China. Methods A prospective study was conducted in seven counties of Jilin Province from 2010 to 2020. Adult women diagnosed with convulsive epilepsy were recruited into the study and baseline demographics recorded upon enrollment. Seizure frequency, prescribed drug dose, and adverse reactions were monitored monthly by door-to-door survey or telephone interview. Results A total of 1,333 women were included in the study. During the follow-up period, 169 participants (12.7%) were lost to follow-up, and 100 of them (7.5%) died. The percentage of seizure-free participants was 45.3% in the first year, 74.6% in the third year, and 96.6% in the 10th year. A higher baseline seizure frequency (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.002–1.009), more frequent loss-of-consciousness seizures (OR = 1.620, 95% CI: 1.318–1.990), a higher daily dose of PB in the first year (OR = 1.018, 95% CI: 1.014–1.022), a younger age at onset (OR = 0.990, 95% CI: 0.982–0.998), and more severe drowsiness (OR = 1.727, 95% CI: 1.374–2.173) were associated with an increased risk of seizures in the first year, and the higher baseline seizure frequency was still associated with the occurrence of seizures in the third (OR = 1.007, 95% CI: 1.004–1.010) and fifth year (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.002–1.008). Age at enrollment (HR = 0.983, 95% CI: 0.971–0.994) was the only factor that correlated with withdrawal from the study and with the death of the participant during the follow up period, but the correlation in each case was in opposite directions. Significance PB has high effectiveness, retention rate, mild side effects, and tolerability when used as a treatment for epilepsy in women from rural areas. Baseline seizure frequency is an important predictor of prognosis regardless of treatment duration. PB is still a valuable tool for the management of epilepsy in adult women from poverty-stricken areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaojia Chu
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Nan Li
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Rui Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Danyang Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Weihong Lin
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Predicting the risk of stroke in patients with late-onset epilepsy: A machine learning approach. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 122:108211. [PMID: 34325155 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of this cohort study was to estimate the predictors for ischemic stroke in patients with epilepsy in a large database containing data from general practitioners in Germany using machine learning methods. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 11,466 patients aged ≥ 60 years with an initial diagnosis of epilepsy in 1182 general practices in Germany between January 2010 and December 2018 from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database. The Sub-Population Optimization and Modeling Solutions (SOMS) tool was used to identify subgroups at a higher risk of stroke than the overall population with epilepsy based on 37 different variables. RESULTS A total of seven variables were considered important. Four co-diagnoses (diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and alcohol dependence) were by far the strongest predictors with a combined predictive ability of more than 90%, whereby diabetes (41.4%) was the strongest predictor, followed by hypertension (35.0%) and heart failure (11.8%). The predictive importance of male gender was only 1.5%, and age was not recognized as an important predictor. Finally, the prescribed AEDs levetiracetam, with a predictive importance of 5.0%, and valproate, with 2.7%, were found to be weak predictors. CONCLUSION The stroke risk in patients with epilepsy was relatively high and could be predicted based on comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart failure, and alcohol dependence. Knowing and addressing these factors may help reduce the risk of stroke in patients with epilepsy.
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