Epileptic seizures at multiple sclerosis onset and their role in disease progression

BACKGROUND: Epileptic seizures can occur throughout the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) and are associated with increasing disability progression over time. However, there are no data on whether epileptic seizures at the onset of MS also lead to increasing disability. OBJECTIVE: To examine disease progression over time for MS patients with epileptic seizures at onset. METHODS: We analyzed the data of 30,713 patients on the German Multiple Sclerosis Register in a case–control study for more than 15 years. MS patients with seizures at onset were further divided into subgroups with polysymptomatic and monosymptomatic onset to assess the impact of additional symptoms on disease progression. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients had seizures as onset symptoms. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) within the first year was lower in the group with seizures at onset compared to controls (0.75 versus 1.6, p < 0.05), which changed until the last reported visit (3.11 versus 3.0). Both subgroups revealed increased EDSS progression over time compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Epileptic seizures at MS onset are associated with a higher amount of disability progression over time. Additional longitudinal data are needed to further clarify the impact of seizures on the pathophysiology of MS disease progression.