Epilepsy at all ages . . . and other stories
BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2309 (Published 18 June 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;369:m2309
Rolandic epilepsy
Characterised by simple motor seizures, childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes—or benign Rolandic epilepsy as it was previously known—is one of the commoner epilepsy syndromes of childhood. A nationwide survey in the UK finds that the annual incidence is stable at around five per 100 000 children, with a peak in the age group 6-11 (Arch Dis Child doi:10.1136/archdischild-2019-318212). Rates are about 50% higher in boys than girls. The condition is not quite as benign as the old nomenclature would suggest. Although many have grown out of it by the age of 18, around 10% of affected children have comorbidities.
Late onset epilepsy
A database study from the US finds that a diagnosis of late onset epilepsy is associated with a modest increase in risk of dementia. Among a random sample of nearly a million American veterans aged 55 and older, around 2000 were diagnosed with …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.