A link between epilepsy and autism has been discovered for the first time. Breakthrough research from the University of Bath found adults with epilepsy have higher traits of autism and Asperger syndrome.
It found epileptic seizures disrupt the neurological function that affects social functioning in brains, resulting in the same traits seen in autism.These characteristics include impairment in social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive interests.
SallyAnn Wakeford, a PhD student at the university's Department of Psychology, said the traits could be 'severe' and go unnoticed for many years, having a great impact on the lives of those experiencing them.
Dr Wakeford said: 'The social difficulties in epilepsy have been so far under-diagnosed and research has not uncovered any underlying theory to explain them.'This new research links social difficulties to a deficit in somatic markers in the brain, explaining these characteristics in adults with epilepsy.'
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