Seizure semiology and aging

The incidence of epilepsy is high in older individuals. However, epilepsy in the elderly may be underdiagnosed and undertreated because of diagnostic difficulties. The main goal of this study was to determine whether seizure semiology differs between older and younger adults with epilepsy in the outpatient setting. Fifty patients with focal epilepsy aged 55. years and older and 50 patients aged between 18 and 45. years were included. Review of medical records contained detailed seizure description. There were no differences in seizure semiology between groups, except that subtle perceptions of transient confusion were seen in older patients but not in younger patients (P= 0.0028). Older patients had less generalized motor seizures, but the differences between groups did not reach significance (P= 0.01). Older patients may present with subtle symptoms of seizures characterized by brief periods of confusion, which may contribute to greater difficulty diagnosing seizures in the elderly.