5. Epilepsy and EEG activity in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology, Volume 128, Issue 11
Author(s): Ángela Milán-Tomás, Paul Hwang
ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to evaluate and summarize the current literature regarding the incidence and features of epileptic seizures in early onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as its epileptiform characteristics as described by electroencephalography (EEG).BackgroundThe incidence of epilepsy in AD is higher than in the general population, although the true prevalence of seizures has remained unclear due to methodological problems detecting these events in a cognitively impaired population.Design/MethodsA literature search using Medline with PubMed and EMBASE was carried out identifying papers published focusing on EEG and epilepsy in early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD). A total of 767 abstracts were obtained, 55 full publications were screened and references were checked for additional material where appropriate.ResultsOnly 20 studies included EEG data regarding epilepsy in Alzheimer's disease of which 11 were animal models. AD due to amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations has been described as one of the most common early-onset AD forms presenting with epileptic seizures. Neurodegeneration of the hippocampal region causing aberrant excitatory neuronal activity is the most accepted hypothesis for the occurrence of epilepsy in AD.ConclusionsThere is a need for better methodological studies addressing the role of EEG in the diagnosis and characterization of seizures in AD. Subclinical epileptiform activity may lead to a faster decline in cognition and they occur more often during sleep stages, therefore a prolonged sleep EEG can be an effective diagnostic tool for detecting this activity.



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