Epilepsy and multiple sclerosis: Increased risk among progressive forms

• Published in: Epilepsy research Vol. 84; no. 2; pp. 250 - 253
• Main Authors: Martínez-Juárez, Iris E, López-Meza, Elmer, González-Aragón, Ma. del Carmen Fernández, Ramírez-Bermúdez, Jesús, Corona, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Biological and medical sciences; Databases, Bibliographic - statistics & numerical data; Disease Progression; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - classification; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Epilepsy - etiology; Female; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Multiple Sclerosis - epidemiology; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Progressive form; Seizures; Multiple sclerosis; Progressive form; Epilepsy; Seizures; Nervous system diseases; Convulsion; Central nervous system disease; Risk factor; Neurological disorder; Inflammatory disease; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0920-1211; 1872-6844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2009.01.009

Summary Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are at higher risk for epilepsy. Epilepsy was frequent among our MS patients (6.55%). Progressive MS forms were associated with higher incidence of epilepsy ( p = 0.021). Partial motor seizures were observed in five patients (62.5%) and generalized tonic-clonic in three (37.5%). Electroencephalogram (EEG) revealed epileptic activity in 62.5%. A high percentage of MS patients with epilepsy (37.5%) reported intoxication as the most severe form of adverse effect of antiepileptic therapy.