Objective: To assess the relationship between epilepsy, antiepileptic drug use, and Parkinson’s disease

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with multiple risk factors, Pre-existing neurological conditions have been suggested to be one of them. Among these, epilepsy has emerged as a potential concern. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the relationship between Epilepsy, antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) use, and PD.

Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from database inception through March 2026.The included studies were observational studies assessing the relationship between Epilepsy, antiepileptic drug use, and PD. We extracted the data from the included studies and assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle Ottawa scale tool .A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model, and pooled effect estimates were expressed as odds ratio (OR)

Results: Eight studies from four countries were included in the analysis. A significant association was observed between epilepsy and PD, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.06 (95% CI: 1.74–2.42; p < 0.0001). Use of AEDs was also associated with a significantly increased risk of developing PD compared with non-use (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.25–1.89; p < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses by AED type demonstrated significant associations between sodium valproate, gabapentin, and pregabalin and the risk of PD. In contrast, levetiracetam, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine were not significantly associated with PD risk.

Conclusion: Epilepsy and AEDs may be associated with an increased risk of PD. More epidemiological studies from more countries are needed to confirm the association

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-between-antiepileptic-drug-use-epilepsy-and-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/