Survey study, 2008
Do women with epilepsy have different hormone patterns or menstrual-related seizures?
Yes. Women with epilepsy had lower levels of certain reproductive hormones compared to healthy women, and about 31% had seizures that relate to their menstrual cycle.
What they did
Researchers compared 42 women with epilepsy to 21 healthy women, all with regular periods. They measured reproductive hormone levels (FSH, LH, estradiol, and progesterone) at different points in the menstrual cycle and tracked which women had seizures related to their period.
What they found
Women with epilepsy had lower levels of FSH and progesterone in certain phases of the cycle and higher ratios of estradiol to progesterone compared to healthy women. Symptoms of PMS were not different between the two groups. A total of 31% of women with epilepsy had seizures that linked to their menstrual cycle, and these women had lower progesterone levels during specific cycle phases. Of those 31%, 53.8% showed one seizure pattern and 46.15% showed another.
What it means for you
Women with epilepsy have different reproductive hormone patterns, and some experience seizures that link to their menstrual cycle through progesterone changes. This helps explain why seizures might worsen around the period. The main limit is this was a small study of 42 women with epilepsy and 21 controls, so results might not apply to all women with epilepsy.
31%
had seizures related to their menstrual cycle
42
women with epilepsy studied
21
healthy women for comparison
About the study
- Original title
- Reproductive hormonal changes and catamenial pattern in adolescent females with epilepsy
- Authors
- El-Khayat HA, Soliman NA, Tomoum HY et al.
- Journal
- Epilepsia
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 42
- What was tested
- None; this is a comparison study of natural hormone and seizure patterns
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01622.x
Topics
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