Study: 1 In 5 With Epilepsy May Also Have ADHD

Approximately 1 in 5 adults with epilepsy also showed symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which are associated with a lower quality of life, according to a recent study.

“Little was previously known about the prevalence of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy, and the results were quite striking,” said Alan B. Ettinger, MD, MBA, the lead author of the study, director of the Epilepsy Center at Neurological Surgery, P.C. (NSPC), and Professor of Clinical Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.^{1
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“To my knowledge, this is the first time ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy have been described in the scientific literature.  Yet, the presence of these symptoms may have severe implications for patients’ quality of life, mood, anxiety, and functioning in both their social and work lives,” he said.¹

As part of the epilepsy Comorbidities and Health (EPIC) study, Ettinger and colleagues surveyed a national sample of adults who self-reported having epilepsy.

The survey included the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, Physicians Health Questionnaire, number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and seizure frequency of the prior 3 month so researchers could measure all of the factors that affect the patient’s mental and physical health.^1,2

Further, researchers examined the association between quality of life outcomes to ADHD symptoms using statistical analysis. Sociodemographics, anxiety, depression, number of AEDs and seizure frequency were also evaluated.

The study showed that 18.4% (251) of the 1361 participants with active epilepsy had significant ADHD Symptoms.^1,2

According to the investigators, new measures need to be taken to screen for ADHD in epilepsy and determine the cause of ADHD symptoms in adults with epilepsy as a next step.¹

The complete study is published in the January issue of Epilepsia.

-Michelle Canales

References:

1. NSPC Brain and Spine Surgery. New study is first to show that nearly one in five adult epilepsy patients have ADHD symptoms. January 15, 2015. http://nspc.com/news-ettinger-adhd.html. Accessed January 19, 2015.

2. Ettinger AB, Ottman R, Lipton RB, et al. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adults with self-reported epilepsy: results from a national epidemiological survey of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2015 January [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1111/epi.12897.