Age-Related Changes in Epilepsy Characteristics and Response to Antiepileptic Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Despite the high prevalence of epilepsy in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is little information regarding whether seizure characteristics and treatment effectiveness change across age. Using an online survey, seizure characteristics, effectiveness of antiepileptic treatments, comorbidities, potential etiologies, and ASD diagnosis were collected from individuals with ASD and seizures. We previously reported overall general patterns of treatment effectiveness but did not examine the effect of seizure characteristics or age on antiepileptic treatment effectiveness. Such information would improve the personalized medicine approach to the treatment of seizures in ASD. Survey data from 570 individuals with ASD and clinical seizures were analyzed. Seizure severity (seizure/week) decreased with age of onset of seizures, plateauing in adolescence, with a greater reduction in generalized tonic–clonic (GTC) seizures with age. Seizure severity was worse in those with genetic disorders, neurodevelopmental regression (NDR) and poor sleep maintenance. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine were reported to be more effective when seizures started in later childhood, while surgery and the Atkins/modified Atkins Diet (A/MAD) were reported to be more effective when seizures started early in life. A/MAD and the ketogenic diet were reported to be more effective in those with NDR. Interestingly, atypical Landau–Kleffner syndrome was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and NDR, suggesting a novel syndrome. These interesting findings need to be verified in independent, prospectively collected cohorts, but nonetheless, these data provide insights into novel relationships that may assist in a better understanding of epilepsy in ASD and provide insight into personalizing epilepsy care in ASD.

Reanalysis of Trio Whole-Genome Sequencing Data Doubles the Yield in Autism Spectrum Disorder: De Novo Variants Present in Half

“…Fifteen cases (30%) are highlighted (column 5, Table 1) with seizure disorders, while another two borderline cases have lesser highlighting (total 34%). These figures align closely with the one-third proportion often quoted with epilepsy [37]. Developmental regression in ASD is common and pleomorphic [38], which is reflected in our population (column 6) as 11 cases (22%) with multiple or greater episodes of regression and 16 cases (32%) with lesser episodes (54% in total).…”

High Sensitivity for Detection of Primary Diagnostic Variants in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Including <em>De Novo</em> Variants, with Trio Whole Genome Sequencing and Data Reanalysis

“…Fifteen cases (30%) are highlighted (column 5, Table 2) with seizure disorders, while another two borderline cases have lesser highlighting (total 34%). These figures align closely with the one-third proportion often quoted with epilepsy [49]. Developmental regression in ASD is common and pleomorphic [50], which is reflected in our population (column 6) as 11 cases (22%) with multiple or greater episodes of regression and 16 cases (32%) with lesser episodes (54% in total).…”