Epilepsy that is difficult to treat may be more common in those with autism than previously believed, new research suggests."In general, we knew prior to this study that people with autism have significantly elevated rates of epilepsy," says researcher Orrin Devinsky, MD, professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. Devinsky is also director of the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
In his new research, he found that epilepsy in autism is often treatment-resistant. ''Among those with autism who have epilepsy, in many cases it is difficult to control with medication,'' he says. In the small study, about 55% of those with sufficient data available had treatment-resistant epilepsy, he tells WebMD.
The research is published online in the journal Epilepsia.
It follows research published last week in the Journal of Child Neurology finding those with both autism and epilepsy have a higher death rate than those with autism alone.
Autism spectrum disorders, a group of developmental disabilities, affect about one in 110 U.S. children, according to the CDC. Epilepsy, a brain disorder involving spontaneous seizures, affects about 3 million Americans, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
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