Epilepsy related multimorbidity, polypharmacy and risks in adults with intellectual disabilities: a national study

Background A quarter of people with Intellectual Disability (ID) in the UK have epilepsy compared to 0.6% in the general population and die much younger. Epilepsy is associated with two-fifths of all deaths with related polypharmacy and multi-morbidity. Epilepsy research on this population has been poor. This study describes real-world clinical and risk characteristics of a large cohort across England and Wales. Methods A retrospective multi-centre cohort study was conducted. Information on seizure characteristics, ID severity, relevant co-morbidities, psychotropic and antiseizure drugs (ASDs), SUDEP and other risk factors was collected across a year. Results Of 904 adults across 10 centres (male:female, 1.5:1), 320 (35%) had mild ID and 584 (65%) moderate-profound (M/P) ID. The mean age was 39.9 years (SD 15.0). Seizures were more frequent in M/P ID ( p