Age and epilepsy

More often, epileptic seizures begin in childhood – from birth to 15 years. These are usually genetic forms of epilepsy. Hereditarily determined forms have a more favorable prognosis for recovery, and respond well to antiepileptic drug therapy. 

There are also some forms of epilepsy that can be left untreated under certain conditions.

• An example is Self-limiting childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal adhesions (or Rolandic epilepsy ).

About half of all epilepsy occurs in childhood. Moreover, the greatest risk of developing epileptic seizures occurs between the ages of 1 and 9 years.

Bypassing the age peak of the onset of epilepsy (1-9 years), a relatively stable age period follows from 15 to 60 years, when the likelihood of developing epilepsy decreases.

According to WHO, the new age classification has determined:

• from 18 to 44 years old is a young age,
• 45-59 years old – average age,
• 60-74 years old – old age,
• 75-90 years old – old age,
• after 90 years they are long-livers.

Age periods in children:

• Neonatal period (neonatal period) – first 4 weeks
• Breast period: from 4 weeks to 1 year
• Early childhood: 1-3 years
• Preschool age: 3 years old – 6-7 years old
• Junior school age: 6-7 – 10/12 years old
• Adolescence: girls: 10 – 17-18 years old; boys: 12 – 17-18 years old.

The second age peak for onset of epilepsy is over 60 years of age. These are symptomatic forms of epilepsy against the background of other diseases of the central nervous system (structural, metabolic, infectious, immune, genetic or with unknown etiology). This is how the new classification of epilepsy of 2017 was defined.

The reasons for the onset of epilepsy in old age are more likely: the consequences of stroke, TBI, neoplasms.

The curve reflecting the incidence of the disease per 100 thousand population per year and the age of onset of epilepsy looks like a bowl, has two age peaks (look at the figure with the graph).

So, we learned from the article that the onset of epilepsy can be at any age, the peak incidence in childhood and old age.