Authors :
Presenting Author: Kaitlin Guston, PhD – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Jana Jones, PhD – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Robert Przybelski, MD – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Natalie Naze, BS – University of Wisconsin - Madison
Jack Vogel, BA – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Rationale:
We followed 348 consecutive series of adults (aged 65–96 yrs, M = 78) referred to a memory clinic (Dec 2020–May 2021) and implemented a seizure‐screening protocol. Seizures and ADRD share a bidirectional link and seizure activity may accelerate cognitive decline. We aimed to characterize seizure prevalence and its associations with cognition.Methods:
Each participant completed a 1-hour neuropsychological battery (MMSE-2; RBANS; Animal Naming; Trails A & B; Clock Drawing; GDS; GAD-7) and a geriatrician assessment. Informants then completed a 7-item seizure form (adapted from Baker et al., 2019) querying automatisms, visual distortions, responsiveness, movements, arrest, awakening, and aura. Medical‐record review over 4 years captured EEG referrals and new seizure‐disorder diagnoses.
Results:
Forty-four (12.3% of 348) patients underwent EEG (56.8 % abnormal); 16 % were diagnosed with epilepsy (3 Alzheimer’s, 11 vascular dementia, 3 unclear).
Logistic regression of the 7 items of the seizure screen indicated automatisms (OR = 3.89, 95 % CI [1.18–12.84], p = .081) and visual distortions (OR = 4.01, 95 % CI [1.32–12.12], p = .050) each conferred 4× odds of seizure diagnosis, with only visual distortions reaching significance.
Cognitively, seizure‐diagnosed patients were significantly slower on Trail Making Test B (F (1, 332) = 4.12, p = .043, η² = .012); story‐recall deficits (F (1, 251) = 4.31, p = .039, η² = .017) are reported as exploratory trends. No EEG-referral group differences emerged on other tests.
Conclusions:
In ADRD memory clinic evaluations, brief informant seizure screening detects increased seizure risk and confirmed seizures are linked to slowed set-shifting. Integrating seizure screening into memory clinics may improve detection and guide interventions to mitigate accelerated decline.Funding: No funding that was received in support of this abstract.