Correlation between clinical and cognitive aspects and nutritional indicators of elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy

• Published in: Epilepsy & behavior Vol. 85; pp. 105 - 109
• Main Authors: Tedrus, Gloria Maria A.S., Srebernich, Silvana Mariana, Santos, Tamires Barbosa Nascimento
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-08-2018
• Subjects: Elderly; Epilepsy; Nutritional indicators; Elderly; Nutritional indicators; Epilepsy
• ISSN: 1525-5050; 1525-5069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.05.041

Nutritional indicators were correlated with cognitive and clinical aspects of 25 elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy (EPWE). The nutritional indicators of the EPWE were compared with those of a similar control group at a significance level of p < 0.05.
There was lower cognitive performance, greater risk of malnutrition and muscle tissue depletion, and higher waist circumference (WC) in the EPWE. Longer epilepsy duration was correlated with loss of muscle mass (Pearson's correlation: 0.433; p = 0.044). Performance in the verbal fluency test, in the clock-drawing test, and in the immediate memory test was negatively associated with body fat. Better performance in the image recognition test was negatively associated with the indicators of muscle reserve.
There was lower cognitive performance, higher risk of malnutrition, and high abdominal obesity in EPWE. Cognitive performance was related to adiposity. Cognitive impairment and longer disease duration are related to increased nutritional risk.
•The nutritional indicators of 25 elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy (EPWE) were studied.•There was lower cognitive performance in the EPWE when compared with the control group.•There was a risk of malnutrition and depletion of muscle tissue and higher waist circumference measurements in the EPWE.•Nutritional risk is associated with cognitive impairment and longer disease duration.