Catamenial Epilepsy

Erik Taubøll, Line Sveberg Røste, Sigrid Svalheim
In: Epilepsy in Women · 2013 · pp. 41–52 · doi:10.1002/9781118531037.ch4 · W2911501498
other OA: closed CC0
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-11 ⓘ

Catamenial epilepsy, occurring in up to one-third of women with epilepsy, is linked to menstrual cycle seizure frequency changes, potentially due to hormonal shifts, and responds to hormonal treatments.

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Abstract

Catamenial epilepsy denotes an association between the menstrual cycle and seizure frequency. This is commonly defined as an average doubling in daily seizure frequency during the phase of exacerbation. Using this definition, up to one-third of women with epilepsy will qualify for the diagnosis. Catamenial epilepsy occurs with all seizure types. The exact causes of catamenial epilepsy are still not entirely clear. Potential mechanisms include (i) fluctuations in antiepileptic drug concentrations and (ii) cyclic changes in reproductive steroid hormones. There is now evidence that reproductive steroids play an important role in the pathophysiology of catamenial epilepsy, with a relationship, in particular, between seizure frequency and estrogen/progesterone ratio. There is no established treatment for catamenial epilepsy, and treatment strategies are either hormonal or nonhormonal. There is now good evidence that hormonal treatment is effective in selected patients.

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last seen: 2026-06-04T00:00:01.174412+00:00
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