title: Nonconvulsive status epilepticus as a cause of confusion in later life: a report of 5 cases.
abstract: Five patients (4 women, 1 man) presented with an acute confusional episode for the first time between the ages of 53 and 76. Their EEGs showed generalized paroxysmal activity indicating a diagnosis of nonconvulsive generalized status epilepticus (absence status). Two patients had tonic-clonic seizures just before the onset of the status, but none had a history of chronic epilepsy. Three patients had long-standing psychiatric disorders. Treatment with psychotropic drugs and medical illness (vascular disease, metabolic derangement) may have acted as precipitating factors for the status epilepticus in all patients. The diagnosis was never made on admission, since psychiatric history and ictal behavioral manifestations often raised intriguing problems of differential diagnosis. In all cases, only icta; EEG could provide a correct diagnostic assessment.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Neurologica dell'Università di Genova, Italia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Primavera
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giberti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scotto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cocito
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003221:Confusion / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000187:drug effects; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D002998:Clonazepam