Epilepsy in Elderly Patients

Objectives: The incidence of new-onset epilepsy is high among the elderly. This study presents the demographic characteristics, etiological factors, seizure types and response rates to treatment in a group of patients aged 65 years or over with delayed-onset epilepsy. Methods: The study comprised a retrospective evaluation of the records of 43 patients aged 65 or older with a diagnosis of delayed-onset epilepsy who were admitted to the epilepsy clinic in the Neurology Department of Bezmialem University Faculty of Medicine. Results: Patient mean age was 74.9 (66-92 years). Underlying disease was found to be cerebrovascular disease in 37.2%. Based on seizure type, 67.4% (n=29) patients had partial-onset and 32.6% (n=14) had generalized seizure. Treatment protocol in 93% (n=40) of the patients was monotherapy antiepileptic drugs, the most commonly used being levetiracetam (53.5%). Assessment of drug side effects showed no complaint in 86% (n=37) of the patients. During the three months prior to the study, 95.3% of the patients had been seizure free. Conclusion: The study found cerebrovascular disease to be the most common etiological factor in delayed-onset epilepsy. Partial-onset secondary generalized seizure was the most common seizure type. All patients responded well to monotherapy and have a good prognosis.