Abstract
The controversies that have arisen in endeavoring to establish the nature of the relationships
between autism and epilepsy might be summarized in a few simple questions, most of
which do not yet have clear, complete answers. Does epilepsy cause autism? Does autism
cause epilepsy? Are there underlying brain mechanisms that predispose to both conditions?
What is the role of genetics in this regard? What is the importance of prenatal, perinatal,
and postnatal environmental factors? Do any of the proposed relationships between
autism and epilepsy provide insight into useful management or treatment? Is the prognosis
of either autism or epilepsy different when the other condition is also present? What
is the role of additional comorbidities, such as intellectual impairment or attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder, in the relationship between the two conditions and
in influencing treatment choices? From the evidence currently available, it would
appear that epilepsy can rarely be the cause of autistic features but is not the cause
of autism in most cases. There is currently no credible mechanism for suggesting that
autism might cause epilepsy. There is strong evidence for an underlying predisposition
for both conditions, particularly arising from genetic investigations. However, many
issues remain unresolved. Considering the amount of research that has been published
in this area, it is surprising that so few definitive answers have been established.
The papers in this issue’s special section provide additional insights into the relationships
between autism and epilepsy; while they do not provide answers to all the questions,
they represent considerable progress in this area and, at the very least, give some
strong indication of what research might, in the future, provide such answers.
Keywords
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