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The somatic comorbidity of epilepsy: a weighty but often unrecognized burden
Gaitatzis A, Sisodiya SM, Sander JW.. Epilepsia, 2012-06-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
A range of medical and neurologic disorders occurs more frequently in people with epilepsy than in the general population and constitutes its somatic comorbidity. Common examples include cardiac, gastrointestinal, and respiratory disorders; stroke; dementia; and migraine. Alzheimer's disease and migraine are not only more common in epilepsy but are also risk factors for the development of seizures, suggesting a bidirectional association and shared disease mechanisms. Less well-appreciated associations with epilepsy include Parkinson's disease and obstructive sleep apnea. The association between epilepsy and other conditions can be due to a variety of interacting genetic, biologic, and environmental factors. We propose an etiologic classification of comorbidity into uncertain (coincidence or unknown), causal (cause), shared risk factors (common disease mechanisms or shared predisposing risk factors), and resultant (consequence). Co-occurrence of other conditions in a person with epilepsy can complicate diagnosis or have adverse prognostic implications. Management of these conditions may facilitate the treatment of epilepsy, as in the case of obstructive sleep apnea. The presence of somatic disorders in epilepsy is associated with increased health care needs, poorer health-related quality of life, and premature mortality. Prevention, identification, and adequate treatment of comorbid disorders in epilepsy should be an important part of epilepsy management at all levels of care.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Gaitatzis, A., Sisodiya, S. M., & Sander, J. W. (2012). The somatic comorbidity of epilepsy: a weighty but often unrecognized burden. Epilepsia. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03528.x
Vancouver
Gaitatzis A, Sisodiya SM, Sander JW. The somatic comorbidity of epilepsy: a weighty but often unrecognized burden. Epilepsia. 2012. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03528.x. PMID: 22691064.
BibTeX
@article{gaitatzis2012-22691064,
author = {Gaitatzis, A. and Sisodiya, S. M. and Sander, J. W.},
title = {{The somatic comorbidity of epilepsy: a weighty but often unrecognized burden}},
journal = {Epilepsia},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03528.x},
pmid = {22691064},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03528.x}
}
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Key findings
- The presence of somatic disorders in epilepsy is associated with increased health care needs, poorer health-related quality of life, and premature mortality.
Why it matters
This review notes that dementia and Alzheimer's disease occur more frequently in people with epilepsy and are also risk factors for seizures, suggesting a bidirectional association and shared disease mechanisms. It reports no treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Epilepsia) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Epilepsia: journal h-index 287 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| 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 | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 211 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.2 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 41 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Josemir W. A. S. Sander: h-index 122 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22691064) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03528.x
- PubMed: 22691064
- Original source →
- Free full text: Epilepsia →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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