Physically traumatic events in patients with epilepsy compared with non-epileptic subjects

To determine the incidence of traumatic events among epileptic patients com pared with non-epileptic individuals, we distributed a questionnaire on phy sically traumatic events occurring during the preceding three months to con secutive epileptic patients and to age- and sex-matched controls. There wer e 145 epileptic patients, 121 with seizures (age 36 +/- 15 y, 60 males) and 24 who were seizure free during this period (age 39 +/- 17 y, 13 males), a nd 145 controls (age 36 +/- 15 y, 73 males). There was no significant diffe rence in the duration of epilepsy between the two groups of patients with e pilepsy. Traumatic events (n = 27, three of them unrelated to seizure) were most common in patients with seizures, followed by controls (n = 20), and absent in seizure-free patients (P < 0.001). Patients with epilepsy most co mmonly injured the head while the extremities were more usually involved in controls. Patients with epilepsy had significantly more traumatic events a t home, whereas controls underwent most traumatic events at work and in pub lic areas. There was no significant difference in the type and severity of trauma between the two groups. We conclude that physically traumatic events not related to seizures are fewer among patients with epilepsy with and wi thout seizures compared with controls, probably because of increased cautio usness. (C) 2000 BEA Trading Ltd.