Abstract
The number of adult epilepsy patients is several times larger than that of pediatric epilepsy patients. In Japan, since there are few specialists who care for adult epilepsy patients, pediatricians not only care for children but also a proportion of adult patients. Although it is anticipated that the number of neurologists who specialize in epilepsy will increase and will be responsible for the care of most of the adult epilepsy patients, treatment for epilepsy patients with psychiatric symptoms require collaboration between psychiatrist and neurologist.
The number of elderly onset epilepsy continues to increase accompanying aging of the Japanese population. The symptoms and treatment of epilepsy in the elderly differ in some aspects from those of epilepsy in younger patients. Onset of epilepsy in the elderly may be misdiagnosed as dementia, and this aspect requires attention.
Epilepsy patients with psychiatric symptoms often take a combination of antiepileptic and antipsychotic drugs. Since these drugs interact with each other to affect the pharmacological actions and blood concentrations, these interactions should be considered during combined use of these agents.
