Are people with epilepsy more likely to end up with Alzheimer's/dementia?

Question

Someone close to me has it, and I wonder sometimes if it also contributes to her sociopathic behavior.

Answer 1

I really don't know the answer to your question, but will do more research into this as epilepsy is particularly of personal interest to me as my ex suffered horribly from it, and since he falls in the 51% of which there is no known cause for the epilepsy, doctors have not ruled out that it is genetic, therefore it may be a future issue for my daughter to deal with..

Here is what information I have found so far...

http://www.psycom.net/depression.central...

Vojnosanit Pregl 1998 Jul-Aug;55(4):395-9

[Evaluation of the level of depression and dementia in patients with primary chronic active epilepsy using the Dementia Mood Assessment Scale].

[Article in Serbo-Croatian (Cyrillic)]

Djokic G, Milovic-Vujkovic M, Tomovic M, Makevic M

The study included 40 patients, aged 18-40 years with primary chronic active epilepsy, tested by clinical DMAS scale. We have found that the level of intelectual function damage (dementia) and mood (depression) rates depended on the long duration of epilepsy and the frequency of seizures, less on the frequency of specific EEG findings. Types of epileptic seizures and polytherapy influenced the depression and dementia rates the least in previous epilepsu treatment.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles...

A recent study in Journal of Neuroimaging suggests that cognitively normal adults exhibiting atrophy of their temporal lobe or damage to blood vessels in the brain are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.  

** this is of great interest to me since my ex had temporal lobe epilepsy which doctors had confirmed each seizure caused more damage and that was what they feel is now the cause of his explosive disorder (why he attacked me).

Also worth more in-depth reading than I can do at the moment.. is this article evaluating the role of folic acid with epilepsy / dementia / Alzheimer's.. which is also interesting since his doctors had put him on folic acid supplements and asked him to be concious of increasing the amount of folic acid he was recieving in food..

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article...

On a personal note, I do have to wonder why you are interested in epilepsy? Thanks for giving more info, it will help me target my research for you..

Answer 2

There is a possible link between Downs syndrome and Alzheimers/dementia. Both are genetic so that may be why.

The medicine to control seizures is enough all by itself to cause sociopathic behavior. They often use high doses of Valium, phenobarbital..(REDS) and  and sometimes a mixture along with psychotropic Meds.