Perceived Impact of Epilepsy and Associated Psychopathology in the Elderly and Research Portfolio

Epilepsy is a comparatively common condition in old age. Not only are the many patients who develop epilepsy early in life living longer, but there is an increased recognition of elderly onset cases. However, this group appears to be under-researched and poorly understood. This is most notable with regards to psychosocial functioning in the elderly with epilepsy. A review is provided of the available literature concerning the medical and psychosocial features of this group. From this review, it is apparent that this population have a number of unique features and it is apparent that standard treatment procedures for adults should not automatically be extrapolated to the elderly. It is concluded that further research is essential