title: Identifying and managing epilepsy in older adults.
abstract: Although epilepsy is often considered to be a condition that affects children and young people, the incidence of new-onset epilepsy has significantly increased among older people since the 1980s. In addition, it is set to rise further, placing an increasing burden on healthcare resources. One reason for this increase is the growth in the population of older people and in age-related conditions such as stroke and dementia, which predispose to epilepsy. The condition can easily go unrecognised in older people, and its symptoms can be dismissed as part of the ageing process or mistaken for other conditions, such as dementia, transient ischaemic attack or heart disease. This article discusses the presentation, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in older people.
authors: Orpington Hospital South London Healthcare Trust.
authors: Jill
authors: J
authors: Austin
authors: Aza
authors: A
authors: Abdulla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans