Prevalence and correlates of epileptic seizure in substance‐abusing subjects

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 63; no. 4; pp. 580 - 582
• Main Authors: Mattoo, Surendra K., Singh, Shubh M., Bhardwaj, Rahul, Kumar, Suresh, Basu, Debasish, Kulhara, Parmanand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.08.2009; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; alcohol; Alcoholism - diagnosis; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Comorbidity; Drug addiction; Epilepsy - diagnosis; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Female; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; India - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Opioid-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Opioid-Related Disorders - epidemiology; opioids; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; seizures; substance abuse; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers - statistics & numerical data; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; India; Human; alcohol; Drug addiction; Nervous system diseases; Prevalence; Epilepsy; Opiates; Substance abuse; Epidemiology; Opioid peptide; Cerebral disorder; Alcoholic beverage; Convulsion; Central nervous system disease; seizures; Neurological disorder; Public health; opioids
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2009.01980.x

Life‐time prevalence of epileptic seizures was assessed in 626 consecutive patients treated for substance abuse. Seizures were reported in 8.63% (9.2% in alcohol abusers, 12.5% in opioid abusers). A total of 64.8% of the seizures were associated with substance use. These occurred during withdrawal in the alcohol cohort and during intoxication with dextropropoxyphene and withdrawal from heroin or poppy husk in the opioid cohort. Results indicate that seizures may be more common in older patients with longer duration of dependence among those abusing alcohol.