AES 2023 | Seizures increase the risk for cognitive decline in older adults

Ifrah Zawar, MD, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, comments on the impact of epilepsy on cognition. A study comparing trajectories in cognitively healthy individuals with active epilepsy to those without revealed a significantly higher risk of cognitive decline in those experiencing seizures. While seizures predicted earlier conversion time from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), they were not associated with MCI to dementia conversion. This emphasizes the need for aggressive management of seizures in older people, with Dr Zawar advocating for surgery in all eligible patients. This interview took place during the American Epilepsy Society (AES) 2023 Annual Meeting congress in Orlando, FL.

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