Epilepsy – Comorbidities

Although attempts have been made to define comorbidity, including the seminal work of the 1970s, it is a term that is used with different meaning across the scientific literature.^1,3 Moreover, beyond comorbidity, multimorbidity is used to discuss the presence of several m…

The aetiology of epilepsy has important implications for treatment.⁴ Multiple aetiologies may apply to an individual patient; they are not hierarchical, and the importance ascribed to a patient’s aetiological group may depend on their specific circumstances.⁴ Worldwide, e…

People with epilepsy often have comorbidities (i.e., conditions, signs, or symptoms co-occurring with epilepsy, which is considered the primary or ‘index’ disorder anteceding the comorbid disorders, regardless of whether there is a temporal or pathophysiological link betw…

References:

1.Shlobin NA, Sander JW. Learning from the comorbidities of epilepsy. Curr Opin Neurol 2022; 35 (2): 175–180.

2.Keezer MR, Sisodiya SM, Sander JW. Comorbidities of epilepsy: current concepts and future perspectives. Lancet Neurol 2016; 15 (1): 106–115.

3.Gaita…

Reference:

Mula M, Kanner AM, Jetté N, Sander JW. Psychiatric comorbidities in people with epilepsy. Neurol Clin Pract 2021; 11 (2): e112–e120.

Given the significant impact of psychiatric comorbidities on patients’ overall morbidity burden and their general quality of life, appropriate identification and treatment of any psychiatric comorbidities in people with epilepsy is crucial for effective treatment.² Moreov…

Psychiatric disorders affect approximately one in three people with epilepsy and can be caused by biological as well as psychosocial factors.² The latter include stigmatization of people with epilepsy, which may result in discrimination or social withdrawal, as well as th…

References:

1.Alhashimi R, Thoota S, Ashok T, et al. Comorbidity of epilepsy and depression: associated pathophysiology and management. Cureus 2022; 14 (1): e21527.

2.Hesdorffer DC, Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Cascino G. Major depression is a risk factor for seizures in older…

A cross-sectional population-based study evaluated the prevalence of comorbidities in 5,834 people with epilepsy registered with primary care physicians compared with >1 million people without epilepsy.³ Whilst the rate ratio (RR) of cancer in general was not higher among…

Several large and comprehensive studies have examined the comorbidity burden among people with epilepsy compared with people without epilepsy using population-based cohorts and administrative databases in the UK, Canada and in the US; several physical comorbidities appear…