Alotaibi Hesham N, Al-Ibrahim Fawaz, Aljuhami Yazeed N, Alshahrani Hisham A, Alzahrani Naif M, Alnemer Turki, Alsahani Nasser, Alamoudi Moayad Y, Omair Aamir, Aljumah Talal
Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, SAU.
Research, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 Aug 6;17(8):e89474. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89474. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and epilepsy are neurological conditions that can affect elderly individuals. The coexistence of these two conditions may lead to additional health challenges and negatively impact patient outcomes. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of epilepsy among patients with AD in Saudi Arabia and to explore factors associated with its occurrence. Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, reviewing the records of patients with AD from 2016 to 2022. Patients with prior epilepsy or without a brain MRI were excluded. Data on demographics, comorbidities, medications, and imaging were analyzed. Results Among 385 patients (mean age 75.5 years) included in the study, epilepsy prevalence was 6%. Diabetes (82%), hypertension (78%), and hyperlipidemia (63%) were common but showed no significant association with epilepsy. Generalized brain atrophy was the most frequent MRI finding. Levetiracetam was the most prescribed antiepileptic drug (77%). Conclusion Epilepsy is more common among patients with AD than in the general population. Early recognition and management are crucial. Further research is needed to understand the risk factors and improve outcomes.
背景 阿尔茨海默病（AD）和癫痫是可影响老年人的神经系统疾病。这两种疾病的共存可能导致更多的健康挑战，并对患者的预后产生负面影响。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯AD患者中癫痫的患病率，并探讨与其发生相关的因素。方法 在利雅得的阿卜杜勒阿齐兹国王医疗城进行了一项横断面回顾性研究，回顾了2016年至2022年AD患者的记录。排除既往有癫痫或未进行脑部MRI检查的患者。对人口统计学、合并症、用药情况和影像学数据进行了分析。结果 在纳入研究的385例患者（平均年龄75.5岁）中，癫痫患病率为6%。糖尿病（82%）、高血压（78%）和高脂血症（63%）较为常见，但与癫痫无显著关联。广泛性脑萎缩是最常见的MRI表现。左乙拉西坦是最常用的抗癫痫药物（77%）。结论 AD患者中癫痫比一般人群更为常见。早期识别和管理至关重要。需要进一步研究以了解危险因素并改善预后。
