Focus on epilepsy and epilepsy syndromes in children with autism spectrum disorders: a study of 74 patients

Background

Epilepsy is a common finding in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but few studies describe the characteristics of epilepsy in these children. Our study aimed to characterize the electroclinical features of children with ASD and epilepsy through a retrospective multicenter study.

Material and methods

Patients with ASD who subsequently developed epilepsy seen at nine pediatric neurology departments were included. Patients with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE), chronic neurological diseases with epilepsy who developed autism, and those with non-epileptic paroxysmal disorders were excluded.

Results

Overall, 74 patients were included, accounting for 15 % of 494 children with ASD seen between 2015 and 2023; 39 were female (52.7 %) and 35 male (47.3 %). Focal epilepsies were identified in 43 patients (58.1 %), which were non-self-limited in 24 and self-limited in 19. Generalized epilepsies were observed in 19 (25.7 %), including six with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone (one in childhood, five in adolescence), nine with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, one with childhood absence epilepsy, and three with juvenile absence epilepsy. Eight patients (10.8 %) had epileptic encephalopathies: EE-SWAS in six and epilepsy with myoclonic atonic seizures in two. Four patients (5.4 %) had combined focal and generalized epilepsy.

No significant differences were found between epilepsy syndrome or type of epilepsy, seizure type, and comorbidities.

Conclusions

No specific epilepsy phenotype was identified in our patients with ASD; the types of epilepsy and syndromes were similar to those seen in the general population. Management should address both epilepsy and the broader complexities of ASD through an integrated approach.