Oops, Did I Misplace My Keys Again? Cognitive Decline An Early Visitor for People With Epilepsy!

Early Onset of Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Epilepsy

Epilepsy and Cognitive Decline: A Not-So-Friendly Partnership

Hold on to your thinking hats, folks! A new study has found that people with epilepsy experience sharper declines in memory and thinking skills compared to those without this brain disorder. And here’s the kicker – the decline is even faster if you have risk factors like high blood pressure or diabetes. Talk about adding insult to injury!

In this epic 14-year study, researchers discovered that individuals with epilepsy faced a staggering 65% to 70% faster decline in their cognitive abilities. Now, if that wasn’t enough, throw in some risk factors for heart disease, and you’ve got yourself a mind-boggling decline that’s 20% higher.

According to Dr. Ifrah Zawar, the lead researcher from the University of Virginia, those who already have high blood pressure, diabetes, or other cardiovascular risk factors are at an even higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. It’s like their brains are on a roller coaster, experiencing even more twists and turns than just epilepsy alone.

Now, what makes this study extra special is that it tracked the transition to mild cognitive impairment and dementia in over 13,700 individuals who started with healthy brains. Yup, you heard that right – healthy brains turning into mush. The participants were recruited from 39 Alzheimer’s disease centers across the United States, so this study was no small fry.

But here’s the kicker – the rate of decline from mild cognitive impairment to dementia was the same whether people had epilepsy or not. So, what gives? Well, it turns out that heart risk factors may play a bigger role in the later stages of dementia than epilepsy itself. Who would have thought? It’s like epilepsy gets the early spotlight, but heart disease swoops in for the grand finale.

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Now, I know you’re all on the edge of your seats, wanting to know where this hair-raising study was presented. It took place at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting in sunny Orlando. But hold your horses, my friends, because this research is still hot off the press and needs to go through the peer-review process before we can fully trust its findings.

So, what’s the takeaway from all of this? Dr. Zawar wants us to identify epilepsy early, treat it aggressively, and maybe even prevent or slow down cognitive decline in older adults. And hey, let’s not forget about those modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Screening early and targeted interventions could potentially save our brains from turning into mushy peas.

If you want to dive deeper into the world of seizures and dementia (because who doesn’t?), head over to the Alzheimer’s Society. They’ve got the goods.

But wait, there’s more! Do you think having a seizure means you automatically have epilepsy? Put on your thinking cap and take the QUESTION. The answer may surprise you!

Source: American Epilepsy Society, news release, Dec. 1, 2023