Recurrent Epileptic Auras As a Presenting Symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease

Rani A. Sarkis; Kim C. Willment; Seth A. Gale; Barbara A. Dworetzky

doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00360

Frontiers in Neurology (Jul 2017)

Recurrent Epileptic Auras As a Presenting Symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease

Rani A. Sarkis,
Kim C. Willment,
Seth A. Gale,
Barbara A. Dworetzky

Affiliations

Rani A. Sarkis: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
Kim C. Willment: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
Seth A. Gale: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
Barbara A. Dworetzky: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2017.00360
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8

Abstract

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Seizures are a common co-morbidity during the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in a subset of patients may be one of the presenting symptoms. In this case series, we highlight three patients with recurrent medically refractory epileptic auras whose work up ultimately lead to the diagnosis of AD. All three patients underwent prolonged EEG, serial neuropsychological testing, FDG-PET, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers, and MRI. CSF biomarkers were particularly helpful in two cases. These cases highlight the importance of having a high index of suspicion for AD in new onset “idiopathic” epilepsy in the elderly.

Published in Frontiers in Neurology

ISSN: 1664-2295 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/

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Abstract

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