Balance performance in adult epilepsy patients

PURPOSE To evaluate the magnitude of subclinical balance dysfunction in adult epilepsy patients and to assess the relative contribution of different variables to balance impairment. METHODS Balance performance was evaluated by computerized dynamic platform posturography (CDPP) in 25 adult patients following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) and in 11 healthy subjects. RESULTS The GTCS was a breakthrough seizure in 20 patients with epilepsy and a first seizure in 5. Seven of the patients had localization-related epilepsy and 13 had generalized epilepsy. Mean epilepsy duration was 6.6 years. Nineteen of the patients were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), 16 on monotherapy and three on polytherapy. Brain CT scan and EEG abnormalities were found in 7 and 14 patients, respectively. None of the patients had clinical signs of balance dysfunction. Postural function, measured by Sway Index (SI), was worse in the patients compared to controls. A lower SI was found in patients who did not receive AEDs, had one or two seizures, had a disease duration of less than a year and had a generalized epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Although the study group was small and heterogeneous and only a small number of parameters have reached statistical significance, it seems that posturography can be helpful in the evaluation of postural stability in adult patients with epilepsy.