Role of epilepsy in women’s reproductive function

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide, affecting approximately 50 million people. In 2020, the overall prevalence of epilepsy in the Russian Federation was 2.49 patients per 1,000 population, and 366,134 patients with epilepsy were registered in Russia. Approximately 40% of patients with epilepsy are women of reproductive age. The course of epilepsy in women of reproductive age has its characteristics, which are associated with daily and monthly cyclic rhythms. Epilepsy has various physiological consequences owing to the use of antiepileptic pharmaceutical therapy. This review aimed to summarize up-to-date information on the effect of epilepsy on women’s reproductive health. Electronic databases of PubMed, eLibrary, and Google Scholar were searched for relevant publications. The following keywords and their combinations were included in the search strategy: “epilepsy”, “reproductive health”, “sex hormones”, “pregnancy”, “menstrual cycle”, “fetal”, “neonatal”, “epilepsy”, “reproductive health”, “sex hormones”, “pregnancy”, “menstrual cycle”, “fetal”, and “neonatal”. The search was conducted among studies published before December 2023. Women are particularly concerned about epilepsy throughout their reproductive years. Infertility rates increased in people experiencing psychological stress and impaired physiological processes that support reproductive health. Thus, doctors must examine the physiological effects of antiepileptic and anticonvulsant drugs. The main goal of therapy is to provide women with epilepsy with a seizure-free life, excellent overall well-being, and improved health. The current plan is achievable if the practitioner is familiar with the sexual effects of epilepsy at the molecular level. However, modern treatment methods cannot be available to every woman because of limited resources.