Does epilepsy occur more frequently in children with Type 1 diabetes?

Abstract

AIM:

Hypoglycaemic seizures are common in children with diabetes and electroencephalogram abnormalities are well recognised in this patient group. Elevated antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, a major auto-antigen in Type 1 diabetes, are also implicated in a number of neurological disorders. Despite these associations, the question of whether children with diabetes are more prone to epilepsy, possibly as a result of lowered seizure threshold, has not been previously studied. We aimed to determine the prevalence and type of epilepsy in a large paediatric diabetes clinic.

METHODS:

An audit by chart review was carried out at the Diabetes Clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Clinical, demographical, biochemical, EEG and neuro-imaging data were recorded.

RESULTS:

Of 1384 children and adolescents aged 0-19 years with Type 1 diabetes, we identified 12 with active epilepsy (prevalence of 8.7/1000), the majority of whom had idiopathic generalised epilepsy and benign focal epilepsy of childhood. These findings are similar to those in the general population.

CONCLUSION:

Childhood epilepsy is no more frequently encountered in children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes than in the general paediatric population.

• Authors: Michele A O'Connell, A Simon Harvey, Mark T Mackay, Fergus J Cameron
• Journal: Journal of paediatrics and child health (J Paediatr Child Health) Vol. 44 Issue 10 Pg. 586-9 (Oct 2008) ISSN: 1440-1754 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 19012631 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
• Glycated Hemoglobin A
• Glutamate Decarboxylase

Topics

• Adolescent
• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic (metabolism)
• Australia (epidemiology)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 (blood, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Electroencephalography
• Epilepsy (classification, epidemiology, physiopathology)
• Female
• Glutamate Decarboxylase (immunology)
• Glycated Hemoglobin (analysis)
• Humans
• Hypoglycemia (blood, physiopathology)
• Infant
• Male
• Prevalence
• Risk
• Seizures (physiopathology)