Psychiatric Bulletin (2008) 32: 224-226. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.107.018234
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pawar, D. G.
Right arrow Articles by Akuffo, E. O.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Pawar, D. G.
Right arrow Articles by Akuffo, E. O.

Comparative survey of comorbidities in people with learning disability with and without epilepsy

Deepak G. Pawar, Specialist Registrar in Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities

North East London Mental Health NHS Trust, email: Deepak.Pawar{at}southessextrust.nhs.uk

Emmanuel O. Akuffo, Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities

North East London Mental Health NHS Trust, London

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

To ascertain the prevalence of epilepsy and understand the differences in the comorbidities of non-epileptic and epileptic patients with learning disabilities. A simple comparative survey was undertaken between the two main groups of patients: non-epileptic and epileptic.

RESULTS

The prevalence of epilepsy in the study group was 30%. A total of 70% of patients with any type of challenging behaviour were in the non-epileptic group compared with 59% in the epileptic group. Depression was the most common diagnosis in both groups, being slightly more in the non-epileptic group.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Our study suggests that there is no association between epilepsy and the prevalence of challenging behaviour of psychiatric conditions within the learning disabilities population.