Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Seizure disorders and management 

Seizure disorders and management
Chapter:
Seizure disorders and management
Author(s):

Steven C. Schachter

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198701590.003.0115
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 25 February 2021

Epilepsy is common and in developed countries with ageing populations, the highest incidence and prevalence of epilepsy is in older people. The classification of seizure types is based on the patient’s or an observer’s description of the seizure. Most new-onset seizures in elderly persons arise from a focal area of the brain, often causing vague and non-specific symptoms or observable behaviours such as motionless staring, blackouts, delirium, disorientation, or limb jerking. The goals of treatment are to fully control seizures without bothersome side effects. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstay of therapy; selecting an AED is based on a number of factors. Therapy should be initiated with a low dose and slowly titrated as needed. This chapter reviews the epidemiology, clinical evaluation, and treatment considerations for new-onset epilepsy in older people.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.