Mental Deterioration in Epilepsy due to Folate Deficiency

Abstract

Folate deficiency in 50 epileptic children aged 5 to 18 years was treated with a combination of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂. Improvement in mental condition occurred from five to eight weeks after beginning treatment in some of the younger children; no change was noticed, however, in 31. Similarly, in 19 children fits became less frequent and less severe. It is recommended that both folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ should be given as soon as a patient is started on anticonvulsant drugs to prevent mental deterioration.