Seizures occur more often in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) than in general population, but the semeiology of seizures in these patients are not well known. We describe the clinical features of seizures in PD patients. We studied 18 PD patients who also suffered from seizures, and compared them to a control group of 163 patients with late-onset (> 60 years) epilepsy and no clinical signs of PD. No significant differences were found between patients and controls as regards ictal semiology (i.e. elementary partial, complex partial and generalized seizures), with exception of drop attacks that were significatively more frequent in PD than in control subjects (44% vs 17%; p < 0.0001). Indeed, 8 out of 18 PD patients had epileptic drop-attacks that were associated with loss of consciousness, followed by post-ictal confusion, and sometimes preceded by epigastric aura, vertigo or tachycardia. Generalized convulsive fits after drop attacks occurred in 3 out of 8 patients. These data suggest that co-morbidity with PD may influence the ictal semeiology promoting drop-attacks.

Epileptic seizures in Parkinson's disease

Aguglia U
2005-01-01

Abstract

Seizures occur more often in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) than in general population, but the semeiology of seizures in these patients are not well known. We describe the clinical features of seizures in PD patients. We studied 18 PD patients who also suffered from seizures, and compared them to a control group of 163 patients with late-onset (> 60 years) epilepsy and no clinical signs of PD. No significant differences were found between patients and controls as regards ictal semiology (i.e. elementary partial, complex partial and generalized seizures), with exception of drop attacks that were significatively more frequent in PD than in control subjects (44% vs 17%; p < 0.0001). Indeed, 8 out of 18 PD patients had epileptic drop-attacks that were associated with loss of consciousness, followed by post-ictal confusion, and sometimes preceded by epigastric aura, vertigo or tachycardia. Generalized convulsive fits after drop attacks occurred in 3 out of 8 patients. These data suggest that co-morbidity with PD may influence the ictal semeiology promoting drop-attacks.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12317/4461
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact