Epilepsy and abnormal calcium metabolism in institutionalized mentally retarded patients.

A group of epileptic and nonepileptic patients from an institution for mentally retarded persons was surveyed for roentgenographic and biochemical abnormalities of calcium metabolism. Osteoporosis, hypocalcemia, and increased alkaline phosphatase were found to be significantly increased in incidence in the epileptic group. The only significant difference among the osteoporotic and nonosteoportic epileptic patients was the increase fo the alkaline phosphatase in the former. Ambulation did not appear to influence the significance of the above parameters.