- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
Complications (1)
- Epilepsy and learning disorders: Are they related?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Epilepsy medication: Is it OK to switch brands?
- Ketogenic diet: Can it control seizures in children?
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Question
Epilepsy and learning disorders: Are they related?
Is there a connection between epilepsy and learning disorders? My 8-year-old granddaughter suffers from epilepsy and also has dyslexia.
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Learning disorders are more common in people with epilepsy than in the general population.
There are many reasons why a child with epilepsy might have learning difficulties. Frequent seizures can interfere with learning because the child is either having a seizure or has only partially recovered from a seizure much of the time. In some cases, the child may be having petit mal seizures (absence seizures), which can be subtle. But the frequent small breaks in awareness can definitely affect learning. Epilepsy also can be associated with significant structural brain problems, which may account for the learning disability. In addition, medications used to treat epilepsy have cognitive side effects.
If a child with epilepsy experiences learning difficulties, consult the child's doctor to determine whether a change in medication or other intervention may be helpful.
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