Epilepsy And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Epilepsy And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Nearly one in five adults with epilepsy also has symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity complaint (ADHD), a novel study finds. Researchers surveyed almost 1400 full-grown epilepsy patients across the United States. They found that more than 18 percent had significant ADHD symptoms. In comparison, about 4 percent of American adults in the assorted denizens have been diagnosed with ADHD, the researchers noted. Compared to other epilepsy patients, those with ADHD symptoms were also nine times more inclined to to have depression, eight times more likely to have anxiety symptoms, suffered more seizures and were far less liable to to be employed.

So "Little was previously known about the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy, and the results were utterly striking," study leader Dr Alan Ettinger, director of the epilepsy center at Neurological Surgery, PC (NSPC) in Rockville Centre, NY, said in an NSPC announcement release. "To my knowledge, this is the first off time ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy have been described in the painstaking literature.

Yet, the presence of these symptoms may have severe implications for patients' quality of life, mood, anxiety, and functioning in both their collective and work lives". The findings suggest that doctors may have to be involved a broader approach to treating some epilepsy patients to improve their family, school and work lives. "Physicians who study epilepsy often attribute depression, anxiety, reduced quality of life and psychosocial outcomes to the crap of seizures, antiepileptic therapies and underlying central nervous system conditions.

Our findings suggest that ADHD may also be playing a significant role," said Ettinger, who is also a professor of clinical neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Two experts in epilepsy fret said the writing-room is an vital one. "This study reaffirms what we've always said - that patients with epilepsy have a tall risk for attention-deficit disorder," said Dr Steven Wolf, an affiliated professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

And "We dream of this in our own clinical experience here". Dr Cynthia Harden is official of North Shore-LIJ's Comprehensive Epilepsy Care Center in Great Neck, NY She said, "Hopefully, this momentous information will motivate patients, families and the medical community who vigilance for epilepsy patients to be vigilant for these disabling symptoms and to provide appropriate resources for addressing psychiatric issues".

Easing seizures may be key. "If a man with epilepsy can become seizure-free through appropriate medical and surgical interventions, this will go a desire way toward eliminating the depression, anxiety, medication burden and ADHD symptoms that too often accompanies living with seizures. Study maker Ettinger suggested that "as a next step, we miss to validate measures to screen for ADHD specifically in epilepsy and clarify the nature of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy. This will deposit the foundation for future trials of treatments that come forward the promise of rendering major improvements in the quality of life of adult epilepsy patients" whos phil. The scrutinize was published online Jan 15, 2015 in the journal Epilepsia.