Epilepsy in the elderly

Abstract

As the elderly constitute the most rapidly growing population, epilepsy in this group is an important health issue worldwide. We surveyed the prevalence of epilepsy in two hospitals for elderly citizens in Fukuoka, Japan. The study revealed that the prevalence of epilepsy was 11.2% in 743 studied hospitalized patients. We identified 70 patients who developed epilepsy after the age of 65 years at the outpatient clinic in a university affiliated hospital. Complex partial seizures (CPS) without secondarily generalization were most frequent. The most frequent diagnosis was temporal lobe epilepsy. Etiological diagnosis was possible in nearly 50% patients, including those with cerebrovascular disease. Interictal EEG revealed focal epileptiform discharges in 66.7% of patients. Forty-two patients were on antiepileptic monotherapy and 52 patients had been seizure-free for more than 1 year. Epileptogenecity was relatively low in elderly patients and they responded well to antiepileptic medication.