Epilepsy in the elderly

Abstract

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.

Antiepileptic drugs patterns in elderly inpatients in a Brazilian tertiary center, Salvador, Brazil

“…Currently 25 to 30% of new onset epilepsy is diagnosed in elders 4,5 . The prevalence of active epilepsy in the elderly is up to 1.5%, almost three times higher than in younger adults, but among nursing home residents may exceed 5% 2,6 . Epilepsy in the elderly presents several peculiarities that are unlike from epilepsy in younger individuals.…”

“…It is the third most frequent neurological disorder in the elderly following stroke and dementia and even more relevant because, in this growing age group, it is often neglected 2 . In Brazil and in developed and some developing countries the demography profile is changing with increasing life expectation, thus the elderly comprise the fastest growing group of the population 3 .…”

Epilepsy in elderly patients

“…Yaşlılar arasında demans ve inme sonrası en fazla görülen nörolojik hastalık epilepsidir. [1] İleri yaşlarda yeni başlangıçlı epilepsi insidansı oldukça yüksektir. Yaşlılarda aktif epilepsi prevalansı %1.5 olup, bu değer genç erişkinlerin üç katına eşittir.…”

“…Yaşlılarda aktif epilepsi prevalansı %1.5 olup, bu değer genç erişkinlerin üç katına eşittir. [1,2] Fakat huzurevlerinde kalanlar arasında bu değer %5'i aşmaktadır. [1,2] Yaşlılardaki epilepsi genç bireylerle aynı özellikleri göstermez.…”

“…[1,2] Fakat huzurevlerinde kalanlar arasında bu değer %5'i aşmaktadır. [1,2] Yaşlılardaki epilepsi genç bireylerle aynı özellikleri göstermez. Yaşlı bireyler nöbetle ilişkili olabilecek serebrovasküler hastalık (SVH), nörodejeneratif hastalık ve metabolik bozukluklar açısından büyük risk altındadır.…”