The Progress of Epilepsy after Stroke

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is the second most common disease caused by multiple factors and characterized by an excessive discharge of certain neurons in the nervous system. Cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, is viewed as the most common cause of epilepsy in the elderly population, accounting for 30%-50% of the newly diagnosed cases of epilepsy cases in this age group.

Methods: Data were collected from Web of Science, Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, through searching of these keywords: "Stroke" and "epilepsy".

Results: Depending on the underlying cerebrovascular disease, 3%-30% of patients after stroke may develop post-stroke epilepsy (PSE), which has a negative effect on stroke prognosis and the quality of life.

Conclusion: In this review, we summarized new aspects emerging from research into PSE, including definition, epidemiology, risk factors, mechanism, accessory examination and treatment strategies for post-stroke epilepsy, which will enrich our knowledge of this disorder.

Keywords: Epilepsy; brain; post-stroke epilepsy; risk factor; seizure; stroke.