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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2002;73:495-499 doi:10.1136/jnnp.73.5.495
  • Paper

Chronic alcohol use and first symptomatic epileptic seizures

  1. M Leone1,
  2. C Tonini2,
  3. G Bogliun3,
  4. F Monaco1,
  5. R Mutani4,
  6. E Bottacchi5,
  7. P Gambaro6,
  8. E Rocci7,
  9. T Tassinari8,
  10. C Cavestro9,
  11. E Beghi3,
  12. for the ARES (Alcohol Related Seizures) Study Group
  1. 1Clinica Neurologica, Università A. Avogadro, Novara
  2. 2Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale G. Salvini, Garbagnate Milanese
  3. 3Clinica Neurologica, Ospedale S. Gerardo, Monza
  4. 4Clinica Neurologica II, Università di Torino
  5. 5U.O. di Neurologia e Neurofisiopatologia, Ospedale Regionale, Aosta
  6. 6Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale Sacco, Milano
  7. 7Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale di Novi Ligure
  8. 8Divisione di Neurologia, Ospedale S. Corona, Pietra Ligure
  9. 9Laboratorio di Farmacologia Clinica, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr M Leone, Clinica Neurologica, Ospedale Maggiore, C. Mazzini 18, 28100 Novara, Italy;
 leomau{at}iol.it
  • Received 11 April 2002
  • Accepted 8 August 2002
  • Revised 12 July 2002

Abstract

Objective: To establish whether chronic alcoholism and alcohol consumption are risk factors for developing a first symptomatic epileptic seizure.

Methods: Multicentre case-control study of 293 patients (160 men, 133 women) with a first seizure symptomatic (either acute or remote) of head trauma, stroke, or brain tumour, matched to 444 hospital controls for centre, sex, age (±5 years), and underlying pathology.

Results: The risk of first seizure in alcoholics was no higher than in non-alcoholics for men (odds ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 3.2) or women (1.5, 0.1 to 54.4). The odds ratio (both sexes) was 1.2 (0.8 to 1.7) for an average intake of absolute alcohol of 1–25 g/day, 0.9 (0.5 to 1.5) for 26–50 g/day, 1.6 (0.8 to 3.0) for 51–100 g/day, and 1.4 (0.5 to 3.5) for >100 g/day.

Conclusions: We found no evidence of an association between alcohol use or alcoholism and a first symptomatic seizure.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none declared

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