Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Jun;28(3):219-25.
doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2009.03.010. Epub 2009 Apr 22.

Malnutrition and epilepsy: a two-way relationship

Sabrina Crepin  1 , Bertrand Godet, Benoît Chassain, Pierre-Marie Preux, Jean-Claude Desport
Affiliations
Review

Malnutrition and epilepsy: a two-way relationship

Sabrina Crepin et al. Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

Background & aims: A link between malnutrition and epilepsy has been suspected for many years.

Methods: Different aspects of the question were studied with a review of previous published data.

Results: Several studies performed on animal models or humans highlight the possible adverse effects of malnutrition in the onset of seizures. Protein-energy, electrolyte, vitamin or trace element deficiencies may be involved. Conversely, several determinants of epilepsy could lead to malnutrition: food taboos and social exclusion in developing countries as well as some adverse effects of antiepileptic treatments.

Conclusions: Two different hypotheses exist as a vicious circle: malnutrition predisposing to epilepsy or epilepsy predisposing to malnutrition. A better understanding of these interactions is necessary. In the mean time, malnutrition has to be prevented and treated.

PubMed Disclaimer