July 15, 2019

Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease More Likely To Experience Recurring Epileptic Seizures

Individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease experience epileptic seizures up to six-and-a-half times more often than people without dementia, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles. Also reported at AAIC 2019, persons with dementia are at higher risk of having recurring seizures and of experiencing seizures for the first time at a younger age, compared to people without dementia.

“There appears to be a mechanism at work that puts people living with dementia at higher risk and recurrence of all types of seizures,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “While we continue our push to find treatments and preventions for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, doctors should be aware of how common seizures are in this population to better monitor and treat these individuals.”

“At the research level, we need additional studies to understand more about the shared mechanisms between epilepsy and Alzheimer’s that might help us better understand the impact seizures have on the brain in order to better treat both seizures and cognitive decline,” Carrillo added.

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