[Electro-clinical and neuroimaging studies in epilepsy in elderly patients]

Due to the aging population in developed countries, epidemiological studies show an increasing tendency to the prevalence of epilepsy in the elderly.

During 54 months, we have studied the electroclinical and neuroimaging features in outpatients older than 60, with active epilepsy. Every patient was interviewed by one of the authors. Then, we have reviewed the medical records about the clinical features, EEG and neuroimaging (NI) studies and seizures frequency (SF) outcome. Differences in crude proportions were assessed by chi 2 test for independence by 2 x 2 tables.

The study was been performed in 78 patients with 70.3 +/- 7.3 years of mean age at review. Partial seizures were significantly related with an higher SF at onset and, in the series of complex partial seizures was more frequent a temporal EEG topography. There was predominance of men, NI abnormal, symptomatic etiology and SF at onset > or = 1 by day in that patients who started their epilepsy after 60 years. A 51.3% was seizures-free in the last year and in 80% the SF was improved a 50% or more from the beginning.

A significantly greater percentage of patients remained with seizures in four cases: in those with a SF at onset greater than 1 every day, in those suffering complex partial seizures, in women and in patients with temporal EEG topography.