Clinical and etiological characteristics of new-onset epilepsy in the elderly

Objectives: The population over 60–65 years of age is growing rapidly worldwide, even in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), leading to an increase in risk factors for epilepsy in the elderly. In SSA, there is little epidemiological data on epilepsy in the elderly; hence, the present study aims to describe the clinical and etiological characteristics of new-onset epilepsy in the elderly in tertiary hospitals in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive study that took place from January 2022 to June 2024 in Ouagadougou university hospitals. The study concerned patients aged >60 years, with epilepsy having started during the study. Clinical, electroencephalographic (EEG), brain computed tomography, and anti-epileptic therapy variables were analyzed. Results: We enrolled 67 patients, predominantly males (61.2%). Focal seizures (56.7%) were the most common type of seizure, and seizures with altered consciousness (38.7%) predominated. On EEG, epileptic paroxysms were noted in 84.8% of cases, and focal abnormalities (49.2%) predominated. Epilepsy of structural causes (53.7%), dominated by post-stroke sequelae (31.3%) and central nervous system infections (8.9%), was the most common etiologies. Sodium valproate (39%) and carbamazepine (25%) were the most frequently prescribed anti-epileptic drugs. Conclusion: A national multicentre prospective study and better access to encephalic magnetic resonance imaging and immunological investigations would enable us to better characterise epilepsy in the elderly in Burkina Faso.