Intellectual disability with co-morbid epilepsy and behavioral disorder: Impact of antiepileptic drugs on behavior

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Adamolekun, Bola | Wahba, Mervat

Affiliations: Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA

Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Bola Adamolekun, Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, # 416 Memphis TN, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Behavioral disorders and epileptic seizures are frequent co-morbidities in patients with intellectual disability (ID). This co-occurrence of behavioral disorders and epilepsy in patients with ID provides opportunities for the selection of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) that not only show efficacy for the common seizure types in the ID population, but also are effective in the management of some of the behavioral disorders seen in this patient population. The effects of AEDs on behavioral disorders in patients with intellectual disabilities and seizures, as well as the interactions between AEDs and psychotropic medications that may impact on behavior; are discussed in this communication.

Keywords: Behavior, epilepsy, intellectual disability, antiepileptic drugs

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Neurology, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 93-97, 2008