'Eating epilepsy'--a reappraisal

One hundred and fifty patients with eating seizures were detected over a 9 year period in two hospital clinics in Sri Lanka. The clinical and EEG features of 120 of them are compared to a control group of 120 patients with epilepsy. Patients with eating seizures showed a male predominance of 3:1. In more than 50% the onset of epilepsy was in the 2nd decade of life. A family history of epilepsy was obtained in 28.3% and 21 siblings themselves had eating seizures. The seizure type was simple or complex partial, secondarily generalised seizures were common. The EEG in 71.6% showed spikes, sharp/slow waves, focal in the temporal areas. The response to medication of eating seizures was similar to that of controls. Clobazam used in 17 patients as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy proved useful. The very high prevalence of eating epilepsy in the present series could pathogenically be related to genetic or ethnic factors and to the bulky meals rich in carbohydrates consumed by the patients.