Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder in the elderly after stroke and dementia. It may be more important for elderly people because it is intermittent and unpredictable. There is no reliable diagnostic test and so its diagnosis and management requires clinical acumen and experience. The situation is further complicated because the elderly may have many comorbidities and therefore may have many other reasons for losing consciousness. Despite their growing number, there is remarkably little research to underpin the best epilepsy management in the elderly. This article summarizes the scope of epilepsy in elderly people, highlights cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases as the main underlying etiologies, explores the diagnostic challenges in this age group, including the hurdles and processes in their investigation, and examines pertinent clinical management issues.
Mortality in people with epilepsy is two- to three-times that of the general population. This can be attributed to epilepsy itself (epilepsy-related death) or to the underlying cause of the epilepsy. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the commonest cause of epilepsy-related death. It is a syndrome where a person with epilepsy dies suddenly and no other cause of death is found. There are frequent reports of persons dying alone in their sleep. It is assumed that death occurs following a seizure but since the deaths are often unwitnessed this is only an assumption. The most important risk factor appears to be poor seizure control. Lately, SUDEP has received much public interest, has been the subject of international forums, ethical debates and comprises part of national guidelines on epilepsy management. Despite its high profile, the evidence for specific risk factors and pathophysiology is still not established. Poor incident case reporting, inaccurate death certification and fewer post-mortem examinations have limited the value of epidemiological data on SUDEP. Here, we review the characteristics of SUDEP, its likely risk factors, mechanisms and differential diagnosis, and consider possible strategies for prevention. We also explore the discussion of SUDEP with patients and the management of relatives of SUDEP patients.
The management of epilepsy and neuropathic pain poses a substantial burden on individuals and society with significant healthcare resource implications. Pregabalin has been approved for add-on treatment of adults with partial seizures with or without secondary generalization and for central and peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes. New antiepileptic drugs, such as pregabalin, have higher acquisition costs than established 'off-patent' drugs, but boast advantages in terms of efficacy, tolerability and side-effect profiles. There is, however, scant health economic research concerning the use of any current antiepileptic drugs used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain. This article reviews the available data on pregabalin. There are currently insufficient data to draw conclusions on cost-effectiveness regarding its use in epilepsy, neuropathic pain or other nonepileptic conditions. Long-term retention studies and prescribing practices may give an indication as to the effectiveness and tolerability of pregabalin and consequent cost-effectiveness analyses may then prove useful.
The world population is aging rapidly. The post World War II ‘baby boomers’ have benefited from improved medical science, sanitation, political freedom, and social and economic development, resulting in the knock-on demographic trend of an aging population. From a health-economic perspective, this places increasing demands on society and on health services to meet evolving medical and social needs. By 2025, over 30% of the populations of developed countries will be aged over 60 years (US Bureau of Census 2004).
A 62-year-old woman presented with stabbing pain over her left temple radiating to her left cheek when bending forwards or coughing. Neurological examination was normal. There were many cutaneous venous prominences over her body. CT and MR brain scans showed multiple venous anomalies and venous occlusive disease of the left sylvian fissure and superior sagittal sinus. We excluded arteriovenous malformation and dural fistulae with cerebral angiography. Following a clinical genetics assessment, we diagnosed blue rubber bleb naevus syndrome (BRBNS) and gave amitriptyline for her pain. There are only 200 cases of BRBNS in the literature, and central nervous system involvement is rarer still. The syndrome involves multiple cutaneous and visceral venous malformations. Most appear to be sporadic though a few have autosomal dominant inheritance. Although rare, BRBNS represents an important differential diagnosis for patients presenting with multiple and/or multisystem vascular malformations.
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