Catamenial epilepsy: clinical aspects

Zahn, Catherine MD

From the University of Toronto, Toronto Hospital-Western Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Catherine Zahn, Toronto Hospital-Western Division, Room 8EC-034, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada.

Neurology 53(4):p S34-S37, September 1999.

Article abstract

Many women with epilepsy (WWE) report changes in seizure frequency in relationship to their menstrual cycle. Evidence from animal experiments and studies in humans have demonstrated an ovarian steroid hormone effect on neuronal excitability, supporting a biologic basis for this fluctuation. The true scope of the problem as a health issue for WWE is unclear, and treatments have yet to be systematically evaluated. Further basic and clinical research is needed to clarify the etiology and pathogenesis of catamenial fluctuations in seizure frequency and to outline optimal management strategies.