Are patterns of cortical hyperexcitability altered in catamenial epilepsy?

Abstract

Objective We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to determine menstrual cycle-related changes in cortical excitability in women with and without catamenial epilepsy and investigated whether these changes differed between ovulatory and anovulatory cohorts. Methods Healthy nonepilepsy women and women with generalized and focal epilepsy were investigated during ovulatory (n = 11, 46, and 43, respectively) and anovulatory (n = 9, 42, and 41) cycles. Patients were divided based on seizure pattern into catamenial (C1 = perimenstrual, C2 = periovulatory, C3 = luteal seizure exacerbation), noncatamenial, and seizure free. Cortical excitability was assessed using motor threshold (MT) and paired pu..