Photo Credit: Sopone Nawoot

The following is a summary of “Coexistence of Epilepsy or Seizure and Multiple Sclerosis; Review of the Literature with a Single Center Experience,” published in the October 2024 issue of Neurology by Saridas et al.       

Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disorder causing inflammatory demyelination, is linked to an increased risk of seizures and epilepsy.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the clinical and radiological features of patients with MS who experienced seizures or were diagnosed with epilepsy.  

They reviewed clinical, electroencephalography (EEG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of patients with MS who have undergone seizures or epilepsy, comparing them 1:1 by age and gender with patients with MS without seizure history. Variables included comorbidities, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), and lesion localization.  

The results showed a mean EDSS of 4.07±2.81, with 29.4% of patients (n=10) having progressive MS. Refractory epilepsy was found in 52.9% (n=18), and 14.7% (n=5) had a history of status epilepticus (SE), EEG abnormalities were observed in 69.7% (n=23), with 51.5% (n=17) displaying slow wave activation. Refractory epilepsy was more common in patients under 45 years and those with thalamic lesions. Lesions in the temporal and thalamic regions, along with cerebral atrophy, were more frequently observed in the MS-seizure/epilepsy group.  

They concluded that temporal and thalamic lesions, along with cerebral atrophy, were associated with a higher risk of epilepsy in MS, and thalamic lesions were linked to refractory epilepsy.  

Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00524-8/abstract