Epilepsy and Brain Disorders

Biography

Biography: Temitope Farombi

Abstract

Aim: Th e uncommon occurrence of peri-menstrual (C1) catamenial epilepsy in our routine epilepsy clinic, and the absence of a statistical diff erence in the frequency of clinically signifi cant sexual dysfunction between female with epilepsy (FEW) and their matched controls informed this study. We compared the sex hormones between FWE and their age-matched controls. We postulated that a diff erence in etiology, with a higher prevalence of structural etiology in sub-Saharan Africa, may be associated with an unexpected hormonal profi le.

Method: An observational study carried out at the University College Hospital, Oyo State – a tertiary hospital in South- Western Nigeria involving seventy-five FWE and forty-five age-matched controls. Samples for hormonal evaluation at preovulatory phase – on the 10th–13th day of the cycle and luteal phase – on the 21st–24th day were taken

Result: FWE had lower FSH levels when compared to controls, p: 0.012. In the pre-ovulatory phase, Further stratification shows a higher FSH level among FWE on medication, p: 0.003. Controls had similar LH/FSH ratio with FWE on medication while FWE not on medication having a higher LH/FSH ratio, p: 0.026. In the mid-luteal phase, FSH level was lowest in FEW not on medication), FWE on medication had higher levels but lower when compared to the control group, p: 0.002. FEW had lower progesterone levels when compared with the control group, p: 0.004 with no difference with the use of AEDs. The E/P ratio showed a reverse picture with FWE having higher values when compared to controls, p: 0.002. There was no significant difference in the levels of LH, LH/FSH ratio, estrogen, E/P ratio, and testosterone between FWE and controls.

Conclusion: Menstrual abnormalities and abnormal FSH and progesterone are commoners in FWE than controls in our population.