Morbidity and Mortality
editBeyond symptoms of the underlying diseases that can cause certain epilepsies, people with epilepsy are at risk for death from four main problems: status epilepticus (most often associated with anticonvulsant noncompliance), suicide associated with depression, trauma from seizures, and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) [1][2][3] Those at highest risk for epilepsy-related deaths usually have underlying neurological impairment or poorly controlled seizures; those with more benign epilepsy syndromes have little risk for epilepsy-related death.
Certain diseases also seem to occur in higher than expected rates in people with epilepsy, and the risk of these "comorbities" often varies with the epilepsy syndrome. These diseases include depression and anxiety disorders, migraine and other headaches, infertility and low sexual libido. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects three to five times more children with epilepsy than children in the general population. [4] Epilepsy is prevalent in autism. [5]
- ^ Walczak TS, Leppik IE, D'Amelio M, Rarick J, So E, Ahman P, Ruggles K, Cascino GD, Annegers JF, Hauser WA (2001). "SIncidence and risk factors in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: a prospective cohort study". Neurology. 56: 519–525.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lathers, C. and P. Schraeder (1990). "Epilepsy and Sudden Death. Dekker, NY, NY".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Hitiris, N., R. Mohanraj, J. Norrie and M. J. Brodie (2007). "Mortality in epilepsy". Epilepsy Behavior. 10: 363–376.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Plioplys S, Dunn DW, Caplan R (2007). "10-year research update review: psychiatric problems in children with epilepsy". J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 46 (11): 1389–402. doi:10.1097/chi.0b013e31815597fc. PMID 18049289.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Levisohn PM (2007). "The autism-epilepsy connection". Epilepsia. 48 (Suppl 9): 33–5. PMID 18047599.