Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/532377
Could that "Senior Moment" be EPILEPSY? • Diabetes • Liver disease • Kidney disease • High blood pressure • Tumors or injuries in the brain • Heart disease • Older adults who have undergone surgery After a certain age, most people experience those momentary lapses where they "space out" for a minute in mid-sentence or just "draw a blank" about a task they just completed. "As a neurologist, I see many senior patients who worry these bouts of mental confusion could be symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer's disease," says Megdad Zaatreh, board-certified neurologist specializing in epilepsy and on staff at CentraState. "Rarely do older men and women realize these 'senior moments' could be partial (mini) seizures as a result of epilepsy. People are often diagnosed with this disease after age 60, even when they have never had seizures earlier in life." About 3 million Americans are living with this brain disorder, which is confirmed after a patient has experienced two seizures (a brief disruption in normal brain activity), and about 300,000 are seniors. It is the third most common neurological disorder in the elderly after stroke and dementia. The onset of epilepsy is most common during early childhood and after age 60. WHY SENIORS HAVE SEIZURES LATER IN LIFE "Abnormal cognitive (brain) aging can be triggered by vascular, inflammatory and lifestyle factors. In many cases, the onset of epilepsy late in life is the result of neurological illnesses from other disorders—mini-strokes or strokes, tumors, heart attacks and Alzheimer's disease—because they disturb the normal functions of the brain," Dr. Zaatreh explains. About 33 percent of all senior epilepsy cases are caused by stroke, the most common cause of seizures in older adults, followed by Alzheimer's disease. There are also several chronic and degenerative diseases that can damage normal brain function and increase risk: Michael Luszik has gotten his epilepsy under control and is able to focus on his passions for golf and life. 12 Summer 2015 Healthy Directions