Alvaro Sanchez-Larsen1, Estefanía Conde-Blanco2, Alejandro Viloria-Alebesque3, Cristina Sánchez-Vizcaíno Buendía4, Tatiana Espinosa Oltra4, Amanda Alvarez-Noval5, Angel Aledo-Serrano6, Raquel Martin-Garcia7, María E Ramos-Araque8, Dulce Campos9, Gonzalo Valle-Peñacoba9, Alicia Sierra-Gómez10, Pablo De Ceballos-Cerrajería11, Marta Agundez-Sarasola11, Mariam Khawaja12, Kevin G Hampel13, Maria Serra-Martínez14, Clara Arbós-Barber14, Asier Gómez-Ibáñez15, Rafael Villino-Boquete16, Pablo Cabezudo-García17, Ignacio Rodríguez-Lavado17, Alessandro Principe18, David Sopelana-Garay19. 1. Department of Neurology, Albacete University Hospital Complex, Albacete, Spain. Electronic address: aa.sanchezlarsen@gmail.com. 2. Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, EpiCARE: European Reference Network for Epilepsy, Institut D'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. 3. Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Aragón, Department of Neurology, Hospital General de la Defensa, Zaragoza, Spain. 4. Department of Neurology, Cartagena University Hospital Complex, Murcia, Spain. 5. Department of Neurology, Ribera Povisa Hospital, Vigo, Spain. 6. Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, Ruber International Hospital, Madrid, Spain. 7. Department of Neurology, Puerta de Hierro University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. 8. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), University Assistance Complex of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Department of Neurology, University Assistance Complex of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. 9. Department of Neurology, Valladolid University Clinical Hospital, Valladolid, Spain. 10. Department of Neurology, University Assistance Complex of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain. 11. Department of Neurology, Urduliz Hospital, Bilbao, Spain. 12. Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 13. Department of Neurology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. 14. Department of Neurology, Son Llàtzer University Hospital, Mallorca, Spain. 15. Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Madrid, Spain. 16. Department of Neurology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. 17. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Department of Neurology, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Málaga, Spain. 18. Epilepsy Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital del Mar, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain. 19. Department of Neurology, Albacete University Hospital Complex, Albacete, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 in people with epilepsy (PWE) and evaluate seizure control in PWE during and after COVID-19. METHODS: Retrospective, observational, multicenter study conducted in 14 hospitals. Medical records of randomly selected PWE followed at neurology outpatient clinics were reviewed. Proportion of PWE with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 during 2020 was calculated. Risk factors associated with COVID-19 and its morbimortality were evaluated. RESULTS: 2751 PWE were included, mean age 48.8 years (18-99), 72.4% had focal epilepsy, and 35% were drug-refractory. COVID-19 prevalence in PWE was 5.53%, while in the Spanish population was 4.26%. Proportion of admissions to hospital, ICU, and deaths in PWE were 17.1%, 2%, and 4.61% of COVID-19 cases, while in Spanish population were 10.81%, 0.95%, and 2.57%, respectively. A severe form of COVID-19 occurred in 11.8%; dyslipidemia, institutionalization at long-term care facilities, intellectual disability, and older age were associated risk factors. Older age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiac disease, and institutionalization were associated with mortality from COVID-19. Seizure control was stable in 90.1% of PWE during acute COVID-19, while 8.6% reported an increase in seizure frequency. During post-COVID-19 follow-up, 4.6% reported seizure control worsening. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was moderately prevalent in PWE. One out of 5 patients required medical attention and 4.6% died due to COVID-19. Older age, dyslipidemia, institutionalization, and intellectual disability were significant risk factors associated with severe COVID-19. Seizure control remained stable during COVID-19 and throughout long-term follow-up in most PWE who contracted the infection.
BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 in people with epilepsy (PWE) and evaluate seizure control in PWE during and after COVID-19. METHODS: Retrospective, observational, multicenter study conducted in 14 hospitals. Medical records of randomly selected PWE followed at neurology outpatient clinics were reviewed. Proportion of PWE with a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 during 2020 was calculated. Risk factors associated with COVID-19 and its morbimortality were evaluated. RESULTS: 2751 PWE were included, mean age 48.8 years (18-99), 72.4% had focal epilepsy, and 35% were drug-refractory. COVID-19 prevalence in PWE was 5.53%, while in the Spanish population was 4.26%. Proportion of admissions to hospital, ICU, and deaths in PWE were 17.1%, 2%, and 4.61% of COVID-19 cases, while in Spanish population were 10.81%, 0.95%, and 2.57%, respectively. A severe form of COVID-19 occurred in 11.8%; dyslipidemia, institutionalization at long-term care facilities, intellectual disability, and older age were associated risk factors. Older age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiac disease, and institutionalization were associated with mortality from COVID-19. Seizure control was stable in 90.1% of PWE during acute COVID-19, while 8.6% reported an increase in seizure frequency. During post-COVID-19 follow-up, 4.6% reported seizure control worsening. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was moderately prevalent in PWE. One out of 5 patients required medical attention and 4.6% died due to COVID-19. Older age, dyslipidemia, institutionalization, and intellectual disability were significant risk factors associated with severe COVID-19. Seizure control remained stable during COVID-19 and throughout long-term follow-up in most PWE who contracted the infection.
Authors: Julio Collazos; Pere Domingo; Nerio Fernández-Araujo; Elia Asensi-Díaz; Helem Vilchez-Rueda; Antonio Lalueza; Emilia Roy-Vallejo; Rosa Blanes; Manuel Raya-Cruz; Jaime Sanz-Cánovas; Arturo Artero; José-Manuel Ramos-Rincón; Carlos Dueñas-Gutiérrez; José Luis Lamas-Ferreiro; Víctor Asensi Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-01-27 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Catrin Mann; Adam Strzelczyk; Kimberly Körbel; Felix Rosenow; Margarita Maltseva; Heiko Müller; Juliane Schulz; Panagiota-Eleni Tsalouchidou; Lisa Langenbruch; Stjepana Kovac; Katja Menzler; Mario Hamacher; Felix von Podewils; Laurent M Willems Journal: Neurol Res Pract Date: 2022-09-22