In 1901, a woman named Auguste Deter was admitted to a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany. She would later become the first person diagnosed with a disease named after her doctor, Dr Alois Alzheimer. Auguste’s pattern of symptoms – including memory loss, unpredictable behaviour, language problems, and seizures – is typical of Alzheimer’s disease as we know it today.
However, despite the connection being well-established for more than a century, much of the public is unaware of the link between seizures and Alzheimer’s disease.
This is possibly because of the type of seizures experienced. Focal onset seizures are more common in Alzheimer’s disease, where people become unresponsive and stare into space for a few moments. Compared to convulsive seizures, these are easier to miss or mis-diagnose.
Seizures are more than just another symptom of Alzheimer’s. Research has shown that seizures are linked to more severe decline in thinking and memory, and earlier death in people with Alzheimer’s, compared to those who don’t experience seizures.
What’s more, because people are living longer than ever before, Alzheimer’s disease is increasing – which is contributing to the rise in seizures in later life.
This is why the Epilepsy Research Institute supports research into the link between Alzheimer’s and epilepsy, by funding research projects, and by bringing scientists from the two fields together.
The Institute awarded Dr Francesca Chaloner prestigious fellowship funding to support her research. In her project, Francesca is investigating whether a new, non-invasive brain stimulation treatment could be used to treat Alzheimer’s-related epilepsy, and maybe the wider epilepsy community too.
People with Down’s syndrome are at a higher risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and associated seizures. The Institute funded Dr Frances Wiseman to investigate this three-way link between Down’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy. Her work could eventually lead to new treatments that benefit people with Down’s syndrome.
These projects hint at the potential for common treatments for epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. Researchers have shown that both tau and amyloid – the two key proteins that cause Alzheimer’s – can make brain neurones ‘hyper-excitable’ and prone to seizures. So, it’s possible that treatments for Alzheimer’s that target these proteins could also be used to treat epilepsy.
“The parallels between epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease are quite striking,” said Prof Andrew J. Cole from Harvard University in an article for the International League Against Epilepsy. “It’s surprising there hasn’t been more collaboration between the Alzheimer’s and epilepsy communities.”
To address this, the Institute is bringing together researchers from the two fields to tackle the challenges they share. Our next Navigator Symposium in April 2026, co-chaired by Dr Francesca Chaloner, is focused on late-onset epilepsy and will feature several talks on seizures in Alzheimer’s disease.
Ever since Auguste Deter was the first person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, researchers have known about its connection to epilepsy. Now finally, research is beginning to reveal more about this link. So, we must continue to invest in research and support collaborations between these two fields and help everyone – with or without Alzheimer’s – live seizure-free.
Learn more about how your donations are supporting research into conditions linked to epilepsy on our ‘Mortality, Morbidity & Risk’ research theme page.
