Unprovoked seizures in multiple sclerosis: Why are they rare?

BACKGROUND

The frequency of seizures in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) ranges from 1.5% to 7.8% and is considerably more common than chance events. The etiopathogenesis of seizures in MS is still poorly understood.

METHODS

A review of the literature on seizures and MS using PubMed.

RESULTS

Cortical gray matter involvement appears to be an all-too-common pathological finding in MS to play a primary role in the pathogenesis of seizures in MS patients. There is no clear relationship between seizures and the severity of MS. In approximately 10% of cases, a seizure is actually an initial neurological symptom of MS.

CONCLUSIONS

Searching for coherence in the occurrence of unprovoked seizures in MS directs attention to the dichotomy in MS pathology characterized by a complex intertwining of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes. The appearance (or nonappearance) of seizures in MS in relation to disease activity and disease progression indicates a distinct clinical phenotype of MS that opens up new perspectives in MS research.