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Driving recommendations for patients with epilepsy
What recommendations about driving should a physician make to patients with epilepsy?
It depends on the state where the patient is driving. While the American Academy of Neurology and American Epilepsy Society do not support mandatory reporting by physicians to driving authorities, some states do require it.
In general, physicians should caution against driving if the seizures are not controlled and involve impairment of consciousness or motor function for the safety of both the patient and the public.
It is usually appropriate to recommend that the patient volunteer to report this condition to the state’s driver-licensing authorities.
Sources
- De Tisi J, et al.: The long-term outcome of adult epilepsy surgery, patterns of seizure remission, and relapse: a cohort study. Lancet 378:1388-1395, 2011.
- Haneef Z, Maheshwari A (eds): A concise manual of epilepsy . Boston, Neurogroups Publications, 2015.
- Heck CN, et al.: Two-year seizure reduction in adults with medically intractable partial onset epilepsy treated with responsive neurostimulation: final results of the RNS System Pivotal trial. Epilepsia 55:432-441, 2014.
- Drazkowski J: An overview of epilepsy and driving. Epilepsia 48(Suppl):10-12, 2007.
