Epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in elderly people as risk factors for dementia

M. D. Carter; D. F. Weaver; H. R. Joudrey; A. O. Carter; K. Rockwood

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004

Epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in elderly people as risk factors for dementia

M. D. Carter, D. F. Weaver, H. R. Joudrey, A. O. Carter, K. Rockwood

Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To assess the role of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as risk factors for probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and for all dementias in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). A secondary objective was to isolate the effect of the AED phenytoin on the development of dementia and AD. Methods: The cohort consists of 5376 participants aged 65 years or older with no evidence of dementia, defined as Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) score ≥ 78. Primary exposure was self-report or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy at baseline (n = 39), or self-report of AED therapy (n = 67). Primary outcomes were development of dementia, defined as 3MS < 78, or AD, determined by clinical examination using standard criteria, during a 5-year follow-up period. People whose 3MS score remained ≥ 78 served as the comparison group. Results: People reporting AED use at baseline had an age, sex and baseline 3MS adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.11 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.01) for developing dementia compared to those not taking AEDs at baseline. The association remained significant using only phenytoin as the exposure. No significant association was found between AED use and development of AD, nor between epilepsy and development of either AD or dementia. Conclusions: Older adults taking AEDs are at a significantly higher relative risk of developing dementia than those not taking AEDs. Further investigation of this finding is warranted.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	169-172
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Volume	252
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004
Publication status	Published - Jan 31 2007

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This analysis was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant MOP-62823. The data were collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. The core study was funded by the Seniors’ Independence Research Program, through the National Health Research and Development Program (project no. 6606–3954-MC(S)). The study was coordinated through the University of Ottawa and the Division of Aging and Seniors, Health Canada.

Funding Information:
MDC wishes to acknowledge support from the Alzheimer Societies of Canada and Nova Scotia, the Killam Trusts and the Sumner Foundation. DFW acknowledges salary support from the Canada Research Chair program. KR acknowledges support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, through an Investigator award, and from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, as the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Neurology
Clinical Neurology

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004

Cite this

@article{4d881dc2d4874637b2de171aebf95862,

title = "Epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in elderly people as risk factors for dementia",

abstract = "Objective: To assess the role of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as risk factors for probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and for all dementias in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). A secondary objective was to isolate the effect of the AED phenytoin on the development of dementia and AD. Methods: The cohort consists of 5376 participants aged 65 years or older with no evidence of dementia, defined as Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) score ≥ 78. Primary exposure was self-report or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy at baseline (n = 39), or self-report of AED therapy (n = 67). Primary outcomes were development of dementia, defined as 3MS < 78, or AD, determined by clinical examination using standard criteria, during a 5-year follow-up period. People whose 3MS score remained ≥ 78 served as the comparison group. Results: People reporting AED use at baseline had an age, sex and baseline 3MS adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.11 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.01) for developing dementia compared to those not taking AEDs at baseline. The association remained significant using only phenytoin as the exposure. No significant association was found between AED use and development of AD, nor between epilepsy and development of either AD or dementia. Conclusions: Older adults taking AEDs are at a significantly higher relative risk of developing dementia than those not taking AEDs. Further investigation of this finding is warranted.",

author = "Carter, {M. D.} and Weaver, {D. F.} and Joudrey, {H. R.} and Carter, {A. O.} and K. Rockwood",

note = "Funding Information: This analysis was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant MOP-62823. The data were collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. The core study was funded by the Seniors{\textquoteright} Independence Research Program, through the National Health Research and Development Program (project no. 6606–3954-MC(S)). The study was coordinated through the University of Ottawa and the Division of Aging and Seniors, Health Canada. Funding Information: MDC wishes to acknowledge support from the Alzheimer Societies of Canada and Nova Scotia, the Killam Trusts and the Sumner Foundation. DFW acknowledges salary support from the Canada Research Chair program. KR acknowledges support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, through an Investigator award, and from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, as the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research. ",

year = "2007",

month = jan,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004",

language = "English",

volume = "252",

pages = "169--172",

journal = "Journal of the Neurological Sciences",

issn = "0022-510X",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in elderly people as risk factors for dementia

AU - Carter, M. D.

AU - Weaver, D. F.

AU - Joudrey, H. R.

AU - Carter, A. O.

AU - Rockwood, K.

N1 - Funding Information: This analysis was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant MOP-62823. The data were collected as part of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. The core study was funded by the Seniors’ Independence Research Program, through the National Health Research and Development Program (project no. 6606–3954-MC(S)). The study was coordinated through the University of Ottawa and the Division of Aging and Seniors, Health Canada. Funding Information: MDC wishes to acknowledge support from the Alzheimer Societies of Canada and Nova Scotia, the Killam Trusts and the Sumner Foundation. DFW acknowledges salary support from the Canada Research Chair program. KR acknowledges support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, through an Investigator award, and from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, as the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research.

PY - 2007/1/31

Y1 - 2007/1/31

N2 - Objective: To assess the role of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as risk factors for probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and for all dementias in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). A secondary objective was to isolate the effect of the AED phenytoin on the development of dementia and AD. Methods: The cohort consists of 5376 participants aged 65 years or older with no evidence of dementia, defined as Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) score ≥ 78. Primary exposure was self-report or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy at baseline (n = 39), or self-report of AED therapy (n = 67). Primary outcomes were development of dementia, defined as 3MS < 78, or AD, determined by clinical examination using standard criteria, during a 5-year follow-up period. People whose 3MS score remained ≥ 78 served as the comparison group. Results: People reporting AED use at baseline had an age, sex and baseline 3MS adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.11 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.01) for developing dementia compared to those not taking AEDs at baseline. The association remained significant using only phenytoin as the exposure. No significant association was found between AED use and development of AD, nor between epilepsy and development of either AD or dementia. Conclusions: Older adults taking AEDs are at a significantly higher relative risk of developing dementia than those not taking AEDs. Further investigation of this finding is warranted.

AB - Objective: To assess the role of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as risk factors for probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and for all dementias in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA). A secondary objective was to isolate the effect of the AED phenytoin on the development of dementia and AD. Methods: The cohort consists of 5376 participants aged 65 years or older with no evidence of dementia, defined as Modified Mini-Mental State (3MS) score ≥ 78. Primary exposure was self-report or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy at baseline (n = 39), or self-report of AED therapy (n = 67). Primary outcomes were development of dementia, defined as 3MS < 78, or AD, determined by clinical examination using standard criteria, during a 5-year follow-up period. People whose 3MS score remained ≥ 78 served as the comparison group. Results: People reporting AED use at baseline had an age, sex and baseline 3MS adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.11 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.01) for developing dementia compared to those not taking AEDs at baseline. The association remained significant using only phenytoin as the exposure. No significant association was found between AED use and development of AD, nor between epilepsy and development of either AD or dementia. Conclusions: Older adults taking AEDs are at a significantly higher relative risk of developing dementia than those not taking AEDs. Further investigation of this finding is warranted.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33846006169&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33846006169&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004

DO - 10.1016/j.jns.2006.11.004

M3 - Article

C2 - 17182059

AN - SCOPUS:33846006169

SN - 0022-510X

VL - 252

SP - 169

EP - 172

JO - Journal of the Neurological Sciences

JF - Journal of the Neurological Sciences

IS - 2

ER -

Epilepsy and antiepileptic drug use in elderly people as risk factors for dementia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this