脳障害と治療

概要

Epilepsy in Elderly

Qing Zhao and Jin Jun Luo

Advance technology and life science significantly prolongs human’s lifespan. The prolonged longevity enables people to enjoy longer life but adversely increases the mortality and morbidity of aging-related disorders which may, in turn, devalue the quality of late life. Of the aging-related neurological conditions, increased incidence and prevalence of convulsive disorders, namely seizures or epilepsies, have been documented in literature. Epilepsy is the third most common neurological condition after dementia and stroke among the elderly. Multiple risk factors cause the elderly to be prone to develop seizures or epilepsies, including advanced aging, stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, obstructive sleep apnea, and obesity. In this article, we highlight the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations of elderly seizures.