Excess Risk for Epilepsy Persists 10 Years After Traumatic Brain Injury

Risk for epilepsy increased with age at the time of injury and was especially high in patients with severe brain injury and in those with family histories of epilepsy.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with risk for epilepsy, but how long after injury does the excess risk persist? Researchers used data from Danish national civil and hospital registries to assess degree and duration of risk and to identify prognostic factors. Of more than 1.6 million people born in Denmark from 1977 through 2002, approximately 78,500 experienced TBI, and 17,470 developed epilepsy; TBI preceded epilepsy in 1017 people.

After adjustment for age, sex, and calendar year, relative risk for epilepsy compared with that in people without TBI was 2.22 in patients who had mild injuries (concussion, as defined by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine), 2.17 in those who had skull fractures, and 7.40 in those who ha…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices