Abstract
Cognitive impairment implicates many factors beyond phenytoin monotherapy in patients with epilepsy. Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 allele has been reported to play a role in severe memory impairment that ultimately progresses to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, knowledge about its role in cognitive impairment in patients with epilepsy is lacking. Our study proposes the possible involvement of the APOE epsilon 4 allele in cognitive impairment in patients with epilepsy which is further worsened by phenytoin monotherapy. Assessment of the APOE epsilon 4 allele in a population with epilepsy will help to identify the patients vulnerable to cognitive impairment and, therefore, the corrective therapy that needs to be addressed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.