People living with Alzheimer’s disease experience epileptic seizures up to six-and-a-half times more often than people without dementia.
That’s according to new research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles.
Alzheimer’s disease causes death of neurons, and researchers predict this may contribute to abnormal electrical activity in the brain that leads to seizures.
Maria Carrillo is chief science officer at Alzheimer’s Association. She commented: “There appears to be a mechanism at work that puts people living with dementia at higher risk and recurrence of all types of seizures.
Doctors should be aware of how common seizures are in this population to better monitor and treat these individuals.
“At the research level, we need additional studies to understand more about the shared mechanisms between epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. This might help us better understand the impact seizures have on the brain in order to better treat both seizures and cognitive decline,” Carrillo added.