Family history of seizures in posttraumatic and alcohol-associated seizure disorders.
The potential role of genetic factors in the etiology of posttraumatic and alcohol-associated seizures was studied in 289 male patients with recurrent seizures and in 174 individuals who had never experienced a seizure. The incidence of seizures in first-degree relatives of probands was compared with that in relatives of unaffected individuals. Relatives of patients with alcohol-associated seizures had a rate ratio of 2.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-4.25], whereas no excess incidence was noted among relatives of posttraumatic epilepsy patients (rate ratio 1.20, 0.64-2.25 CI). Relatives of probands with both antecedents showed an intermediate rate ratio of 1.72 (0.92-3.20 CI). Among probands with alcohol-associated seizures, the rate ratio of 2.05 for patients with alcohol-related seizures (i.e., spontaneously occurring seizures in association with chronic alcohol abuse) was slightly higher than that of 1.85 for probands with alcohol withdrawal seizures. Trauma severity had a slight impact on the incidence of affected relatives; patients with severe head injuries had a rate ratio of 0.73 and probands with milder trauma had a rate ratio of 0.99. The results indicate a limited, if any, role of genetic predisposition in development of posttraumatic seizures. Alcohol-related seizures, however, showed familial aggregation of unprovoked seizures, suggesting an involvement of genetic factors in the origin of such seizures.
Schaumann
B A
BA
Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR 97207.
Annegers
J F
JF
Johnson
S B
SB
Moore
K J
KJ
Lubozynski
M F
MF
Salinsky
M C
MC
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications; D015897:Comorbidity; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D004834:Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
D000431:Ethanol