Diagnosing epilepsy in the elderly.

Abstract

Elderly individuals represent the fastest-growing segment of the US population. Seizures are common among elderly persons, and the etiology, clinical presentation, and prognosis of seizure disorders can often differ between elderly patients and younger individuals. However, published information regarding the diagnosis and management of epilepsy in elderly patients is scarce. Because a number of conditions that are common in elderly patients may resemble epilepsy, diagnosis can be challenging. Cardiovascular conditions, migraines, drug effects, infections, metabolic disturbances, sleep disorders, and psychiatric disorders are all associated with signs and symptoms that may often mimic epilepsy. New paradigms must be put into practice to establish an accurate diagnosis in the elderly patient; besides an initial evaluation, the patient history and an electroencephalogram should be obtained. Proper diagnosis is essential for proper treatment in the elderly patient.

Full text

Page 1

Page 2

International
R E V I E W O F
Neurobiology
Volume 81

Page 3

International
R E V I E W O F
Neurobiology
Volume 81
SERIES EDITORS
RONALD J. BRADLEY
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
R. ADRON HARRIS
Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas, USA
PETER JENNER
Division of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
GKT School of Biomedical Sciences
King’s College, London, UK
EDITORIAL BOARD
ERIC AAMODT
PHILIPPE ASCHER
DONARD S. DWYER
MARTIN GIURFA
PAUL GREENGARD
NOBU HATTORI
DARCY KELLEY
BEAU LOTTO
MICAELA MORELLI
JUDITH PRATT
EVAN SNYDER
JOHN WADDINGTON
HUDA AKIL
MATTHEW J. DURING
DAVID FINK
MICHAEL F. GLABUS
BARRY HALLIWELL
JON KAAS
LEAH KRUBITZER
KEVIN MCNAUGHT
JOSE´A. OBESO
CATHY J. PRICE
SOLOMON H. SNYDER
STEPHEN G. WAXMAN

Page 4

The Neurobiology of
Epilepsy and Aging
EDITED BY
R. EUGENE RAMSAY
International Center for Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, University of Miami
School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; Department of Neurology
Miami VA Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
JAMES C. CLOYD
Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology
College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
KEVIN M. KELLY
Department of Neurology, Allegheny General Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
ILO E. LEPPIK
Epilepsy Research and Education Program, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
EMILIO PERUCCA
Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics
University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Institute of
Neurology IRCCS C. Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON
NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier

Page 5

Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, California 92101-4495, USA
84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8RR, UK
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright ? 2007, Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.
The appearance of the code at the bottom of the first page of a chapter in this book
indicates the Publisher’s consent that copies of the chapter may be made for
personal or internal use of specific clients. This consent is given on the condition,
however, that the copier pay the stated per copy fee through the Copyright Clearance
Center, Inc. (www.copyright.com), for copying beyond that permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. This consent does not extend to
other kinds of copying, such as copying for general distribution, for advertising
or promotional purposes, for creating new collective works, or for resale.
Copy fees for pre-2007 chapters are as shown on the title pages. If no fee code
appears on the title page, the copy fee is the same as for current chapters.
0074-7742/2007 $35.00
Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights
Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (þ44) 1865 843830, fax: (þ44) 1865 853333,
E-mail: permissions@elsevier.com. You may also complete your request on-line
via the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting ‘‘Support & Contact’’
then ‘‘Copyright and Permission’’ and then ‘‘Obtaining Permissions.’’
For information on all Academic Press publications
visit our Web site at www.books.elsevier.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-12-374018-2
ISBN-10: 0-12-374018-5
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
07080910987654321