DOI: 10.36347/gamj.2023.v04i04.001

Pages: 125-129

Autism spectrum disorder is a category of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by early and persistent deficits in communication and social interaction, as well as the presence of repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviour and interests. The comorbidity between epilepsy and ASD is well described in the scientific literature, its prevalence is estimated between 5 and 44.4% [3]. This comorbidity represents a major challenge for researchers, raising many questions about the nature of their association, and the best approaches for effective management. A retrospective and descriptive study was carried out at the Child Psychiatry Department of the Ibn Nafis Hospital, Mohammed VI University Hospital, spread over a period of one year: January 2022 to January 2023, based on the exploitation of files. Inclusion criteria: patients under 18 years of age, who meet the DSM V diagnostic criteria for ASD and have comorbid epilepsy. Sixteen patients were included in this study, for socio-demographic parameters, there is a male predominance with a frequency of 56.25%, the mean age of patients: 8.12 years with extremes of 3 and 13 years with a predominance in the age group of 6 to 12 years (56.25%). Most studies report a male predominance that can be explained by the higher frequency of ASD in male subjects in the general population. Several studies indicate that women with autism have a higher risk of developing epilepsy compared to men (Elia et al., 1995; Danielsson et al., 2005; Hughes & Melyn, 2005). Clark et al., report a greater risk of ASD in cases of seizures occurring before the age of 2 years. An onset of seizures in the first year of life is particularly associated with autism. In a study of 246 children with autism aged 4 to 15 years, 16 children had epilepsy. Future research will continue to inform our understanding of this interconnection between epilepsy and ASD highlights the complexity of disorders covering both genetic and neurobiological aspects, ....