Prevalence of epilepsy in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (level assigned by design analogy, not clinical CEBM).
PubMed 34510916 · doi:10.1177/13623613211045029
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies from inception to 2020 evaluating the prevalence of epilepsy in individuals on the autism spectrum and exploring associated moderating factors. A total of 66 studies from 53 articles were included.
What was found
About 1 in 10 (approximately 10%) autistic individuals had co-occurring epilepsy. Prevalence was higher in clinical sample-based studies compared to population-based cross-sectional or cohort studies, and higher in adults than in children. Prevalence was significantly higher in adolescents (11-17 years) and showed a higher trend in preschool-aged children (<=6 years) versus school-aged children (7-10 years). Epilepsy prevalence also increased with advancing age, higher proportion of females, and higher rates of low intellectual function, but was negatively associated with national Human Development Index. Specific percentage rates and confidence intervals were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
It provides an updated estimate that roughly 10% of autistic individuals experience epilepsy, highlighting the need for targeted surveillance among adolescents, adults, females, and individuals with intellectual disability.
Limits
The abstract does not provide exact pooled prevalence estimates, confidence intervals, heterogeneity metrics, or the total number of individual participants. Synthesizing observational studies across diverse global populations and clinical versus community settings introduces substantial risk of confounding and diagnostic variation.
Cited by
- supports Children with autism have a significantly increased incidence of seizures compared to children without autism.