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Gender Differences in Epilepsy
Author(s) -
Christensen Jakob,
Kjeldsen Marianne Juel,
Andersen Henning,
Friis Mogens Laue,
Sidenius Per
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2005.51204.x
Subject(s) - epilepsy , population , generalized epilepsy , medicine , neurology , pediatrics , juvenile myoclonic epilepsy , outpatient clinic , idiopathic generalized epilepsy , psychiatry , environmental health
Summary: Purpose: The aim of this study was to look at gender differences in unselected populations of patients with epilepsy classified according to the 1989 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) criteria. Methods: Data were obtained from two sources: (a) the EpiBase database at the outpatient clinic at the Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, confined to adults with epilepsy (n = 2,170), and (b) the Danish Twin Registry (n = 318). Results: In localization‐related epilepsy, no overall gender difference was found in either the EpiBase population (n = 1,511; w = 750 (50%), m = 761 (50%); p = 0.80) or in the twin population (n = 172; w = 86 (50%), m = 86 (50%); p = 1.00). However, in the EpiBase population, localization‐related symptomatic epilepsies were more frequent in men (n = 939; w = 426 (45%), m = 513 (55%); p = 0.005); and cryptogenic localization‐related epilepsies were more frequent in women (n = 572; w = 324 (57%), m = 248 (43%); p = 0.002). In generalized epilepsy, more women than men were diagnosed in both populations [EpiBase: n = 480, w = 280 (58%), m = 200 (42%); p < 0.001; twin population: n = 105, w = 63 (60%), m = 42 (40%); p = 0.05]. The difference was confined to idiopathic generalized epilepsy [EpiBase: n = 437, w = 259 (59%), m = 178 (41%); p < 0.001; twin population: n = 94, w = 60 (64%), m = 34 (36%); p = 0.01]. Conclusions: More women than men were diagnosed with idiopathic generalized epilepsy in two epilepsy populations. Overall, no gender difference was found in localization‐related epilepsy, but localization‐related symptomatic epilepsies were more frequent in men, and cryptogenic localization‐related epilepsies were more frequent in women The results suggest a gender susceptibility to the development of specific epilepsy subtypes.