Biomaterial Database

Catamenial epilepsy: clinical aspects. 1999

C Zahn

University of Toronto, Toronto Hospital-Western Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, Ontario, Canada.

Many women with epilepsy (WWE) report changes in seizure frequency in relationship to their menstrual cycle. Evidence from animal experiments and studies in humans have demonstrated an ovarian steroid hormone effect on neuronal excitability, supporting a biologic basis for this fluctuation. The true scope of the problem as a health issue for WWE is unclear, and treatments have yet to be systematically evaluated. Further basic and clinical research is needed to clarify the etiology and pathogenesis of catamenial fluctuations in seizure frequency and to outline optimal management strategies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008598	Menstruation	The periodic shedding of the ENDOMETRIUM and associated menstrual bleeding in the MENSTRUAL CYCLE of humans and primates. Menstruation is due to the decline in circulating PROGESTERONE, and occurs at the late LUTEAL PHASE when LUTEOLYSIS of the CORPUS LUTEUM takes place.
D004827	Epilepsy	A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)	Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man