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
. 2021 Apr 1;34(2):219-225.
doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000903.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy

Sylvain Rheims  1   2   3 , Stephane Auvin  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy

Sylvain Rheims et al. Curr Opin Neurol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequent comorbidity in patients with epilepsy and is associated with important psychosocial and academic consequences. Evidence are now available to guide diagnosis and treatment of patients with both ADHD and epilepsy.

Recent findings: The prevalence of ADHD varies from 12 to 39% in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy to 70% in drug-resistant epilepsy. The diagnosis of ADHD requires parent-validated and teacher-validated rating scales, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV and DSM-V, to confirm the information in the rating scales by interviewing parents and to exclude other causes of symptoms. Treatment with methylphenidate is associated with clinically significant improvement of ADHD symptoms in 60-75% of patients. Recent data reinforce the hypothesis that ADHD medications do not increase risk of seizures, even in patients with epilepsy. Beyond pharmacological management, experts have recommended to include multidisciplinary involvement in transition clinics for patients with both comorbid ADHD and epilepsy.

Summary: Management of ADHD in patients with epilepsy requires implementation of evidence-based data in clinical practice both for diagnosis and treatment. Currently, there is no specific treatment of ADHD associated with epilepsy and its treatment is based on the usual treatments of ADHD, with reassuring data about their safety in epilepsy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. WHO. Global burden of epilepsy and the need for coordinated action at the country level to address its health, social and public knowledge implications. 2015; Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB136/B136_R8-en.pdfhttp://apps.w... [Accessed 22 December 2020].
    1. Hermann B, Jones J, Dabbs K, et al. The frequency, complications and aetiology of ADHD in new onset paediatric epilepsy. Brain 2007; 130:3135–3148.
    1. Ashjazadeh N, Sahraeian A, Sabzgolin I, Asadi-Pooya AA. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 101:106543.
    1. Auvin S, Wirrell E, Donald KA, et al. Systematic review of the screening, diagnosis, and management of ADHD in children with epilepsy. Consensus paper of the Task Force on Comorbidities of the ILAE Pediatric Commission. Epilepsia 2018; 59:1867–1880.
    1. (Ed): Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

MeSH terms

Substances