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Seizures Associated with Menstrual Cycle
December 5, 2011Send to a Friend
Two recent study findings have increased understanding about the relationship between and a potential treatment for seizures that happen in conjunction with the menstrual cycle. This condition is called catamenial epilepsy. Below is information about the studies. One has identified risk factors for catamential seizures and the other one has identified a potential treatment for these.
Seizures May Worsen During Menstrual Cycle
Seizures among women of childbearing age with epilepsy may worsen during menstruation or ovulation, researchers have found. In the study, investigators at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the University of California, Irvine, examined the trend of seizures associated with menstrual cycles (called "catamenial" seizures) among a group of women aged 19 to 50.
The study participants responded to a questionnaire about the worsening of their seizures during their menstrual cycle, and the researchers used these responses as well as the women's monthly seizure calendars to identify those with catamenial seizures.
Among the women with catamenial seizures, the investigators examined the type of epilepsy they had, the frequency of their seizures, their response to medications as well as neuroimaging findings and seizures during pregnancy, according to a news release from the American Epilepsy Society.
Two-thirds of the women with catamenial epilepsy had a diagnosis of partial epilepsy. The rest had primary generalized epilepsy. Meanwhile, about 75 percent of the women with catamenial epilepsy had medically refractory seizures -- which means they're resistant to treatment. The rate was twice that of their peers with epilepsy who did not have catamenial seizures.
A high percentage of women with catamenial epilepsy who had children reported having more seizures during pregnancy, according to the study authors, Avriel Linane and Mona Sazgar.
The study findings were presented on December 4, 2011 at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Baltimore. The data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
This article was adapted from a HealthDay news release.
Progesterone Therapy for Women with Epilepsy Shows Favorable Outcome
Women of childbearing age with epilepsy commonly have seizures that are exacerbated by hormonal changes. Investigators today reported favorable outcomes of a clinical trial of progesterone therapy in reducing these catamenial seizures.
Progesterone is a naturally occurring steroid known to lessen neuronal excitability and seizures. The purpose of the clinical trial was to compare progesterone versus placebo in lessening seizures in women with epilepsy. "We found that progesterone can provide a clinically important benefit for a substantial portion of women with catamenial seizures," said lead investigator, Andrew G. Herzog, M.D., M.Sc., of Harvard University. "And, the level of perimenstrual seizure exacerbation is a significant predictor of women most likely to benefit from this hormonal therapy."
The proportion of women who responded to progesterone therapy increased relative to the increased level of perimentrual seizure exacerbation; whereas, no significant difference in response rate was observed in women with seizures that did not show substantial perimenstrual exacerbation, i.e., three times or greater increase in average daily frequency.
This article was adapted from an Epilepsy Foundation news item.
Click here to read the research abstract.
More information about women and epilepsy is available from the BC Epilepsy Society Women in Mind webpage.
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