Seizures and chronic kidney disease: An in-depth review

Abstract

Seizures are not uncommon in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an approximate incidence of roughly 10%. There are two primary groups: Patients who develop acute provoked seizures in the setting of CKD and patients with pre-existing epilepsy who then develop CKD. The recognition of potential etiology and management of seizures in this patient population may be challenging for clinicians, particularly non-neurologists. Standard antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment is indicated for those with pre-existing epilepsy. The prescription of AED in CKD population requires careful consideration, due to potentially altered pharmacokinetics. Clinicians frequently encounter challenges in the selection, loading, titration, and maintenance of AEDs. There are few internationally recognized consensus recommendations for AED prescription in CKD and dialysis. Non-AED management aims at addressing factors that may have provoked the seizure. In this article, we provide an in-depth review of the potential etiologies and pathophysiological pathways of provoked seizures in CKD. We discuss strategies, including non-AED treatment options, which aim to prevent, and/or manage provoked seizures in the setting of CKD. We discuss the AEDs used in contemporary clinical practice and how their metabolism is affected by CKD, concurrent AED prescriptions, and dialysis.