Autism and Epilepsy

Seizure Disorders Are Common Among Those with ASDs

Jun 12, 2008 Melissa Hincha-Ownby

Understanding the relationship between autism and epilepsy will help researchers develop treatment plans for individuals with both conditions.

There are many co-morbid conditions that exist alongside autism spectrum disorders; one of these common co-morbidities is epilepsy. According to a study by Gabis, Pomeroy and Andriola, 40% of their autistic study participants also had an epilepsy diagnosis. The study, "Autism and epilepsy: Cause, consequence, comorbidity, or coincidence?" also suggests that those who are more severely affected with autism have a higher incidence of epilepsy.

Understanding Epilepsy

The Epilepsy Foundation website defines epilepsy as “a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, he is considered to have epilepsy.”

There are many different types of epilepsy and the Epilepsy Foundation reports that more than 3 million people in the United States currently have a form of epilepsy with over 200,000 newly diagnosed patients each year. As autism spectrum disorder rates are on the rise, researchers are better able to look into the relationship between the two conditions.

Regressive vs. Non-regressive Autism

Autism typically develops in two ways. There are those individuals who are different from birth that are ultimately diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder; these individuals have non-regressive autism. Regressive autism occurs after a period of typical development. Starting around the age of 18 months, these typically-developing children start to lose language and other developmental milestones and are eventually diagnosed with autism. The regression can be drastic.

In a study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers compared a group of children with regression autism to children who had non-regressive autism. In the study, the researchers looked at EEGs as well as epilepsy diagnoses. The study, "An Investigation of Sleep Characteristics, EEG Abnormalities and Epilepsy in Developmentally Regressed and Non-regressed Children with Autism", determined that epilepsy and abnormal EEGs were more common in those with regressive autism.

Increased Risk for Epilepsy Among Autistic Population

A 2002 study by Dr. Roberto Tuchman and Isabelle Rapin looked at the factors associated with an increased risk for epilepsy among the autistic population. "Epilepsy in autism", published in The Lancet Neurology, showed that “three main factors--age, cognitive level, and type of language disorder--account for variability in the reported prevalence of epilepsy.” The study summarized that individuals who have a higher degree of cognitive disability, motor planning problems and significant receptive language issues are more likely to have epilepsy.

As more research is done into the relationship between autism and epilepsy, those affected by both of these conditions will directly benefit from the results of the scientific studies.

Sources:

Epilepsy Foundation Online

Gabis, Lidia., Pomeroy, John., Andriola, Mary. “Autism and epilepsy: Cause, consequence, comorbidity, or coincidence?” Epilepsy & Behavior. 7 (2005): 652-656.

Giannotti, Flavia, et al. “An Investigation of Sleep Characteristics, EEG Abnormalities and Epilepsy in Developmentally Regressed and Non-regressed Children with Autism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. (2008): Online Edition Courtesy of SpringerLink.

Tuchman,Roberto., Rapin, Isabelle. “Epilepsy in autism.” The Lancet Neurology. 1 (2002):352-358.

The copyright of the article Autism and Epilepsy in Autism/Asperger's Syndrome is owned by Melissa Hincha-Ownby. Permission to republish Autism and Epilepsy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Autism and Epilepsy Research Increases.