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Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy: shared neuropathology guides current and future treatment strategies
Lu O, Kouser T, Skylar-Scott IA.. Frontiers in neurology, 2023-10-23
Topic: Drug trials: efficacy and safety
Epilepsy is a cause of profound disability in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The risk of being diagnosed with AD increases the risk for epilepsy, and in parallel, a history of epilepsy increases the likelihood of the development of AD. This bi-directional relationship may be due to underlying shared pathophysiologic hallmarks, including decreased cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42), increased hyperphosphorylated tau protein, and hippocampal hyperexcitability. Additionally, there are practical treatment considerations in patients with co-morbid AD and epilepsy-namely, there is a higher risk of seizures associated with medications commonly prescribed for Alzheimer's disease patients, including antidepressants and antipsychotics such as trazodone, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and first-generation neuroleptics. Anti-amyloid antibodies like aducanumab and lecanemab present new and unique considerations in patients with co-morbid AD and epilepsy given the risk of seizures associated with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) seen with this drug class. Finally, we identify and detail five active studies, including two clinical trials of levetiracetam in the respective treatment of cognition and neuropsychiatric features of AD, a study characterizing the prevalence of epilepsy in AD via prolonged EEG monitoring, a study characterizing AD biomarkers in late-onset epilepsy, and a study evaluating hyperexcitability in AD. These ongoing trials may guide future clinical decision-making and the development of novel therapeutics.
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APA 7th
Lu, O., Kouser, T., & Skylar-Scott, I. A. (2023). Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy: shared neuropathology guides current and future treatment strategies. Frontiers in neurology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1241339
Vancouver
Lu O, Kouser T, Skylar-Scott IA. Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy: shared neuropathology guides current and future treatment strategies. Frontiers in neurology. 2023. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1241339. PMID: 37936917.
BibTeX
@article{lu2023-37936917,
author = {Lu, O. and Kouser, T. and Skylar-Scott, I. A.},
title = {{Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy: shared neuropathology guides current and future treatment strategies}},
journal = {Frontiers in neurology},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.3389/fneur.2023.1241339},
pmid = {37936917},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1241339}
}
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Key findings
- Additionally, there are practical treatment considerations in patients with co-morbid AD and epilepsy-namely, there is a higher risk of seizures associated with medications commonly prescribed for Alzheimer's disease patients, including antidepressants and antipsychotics such as trazodone, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and first-generation neuroleptics.
- Anti-amyloid antibodies like aducanumab and lecanemab present new and unique considerations in patients with co-morbid AD and epilepsy given the risk of seizures associated with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) seen with this drug class.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 25 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37936917) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 25 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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