Prevalence of convulsive epilepsy and health-related quality of life of the population with convulsive epilepsy in rural areas of Tibet Autonomous Region in China: An initial survey (original) (raw)

Quality of life in epilepsy in Bhutan

Seizure, 2016

To assess the quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE) among adults in the lower middle-income country of Bhutan and assess the potential demographic and clinical associations with better QOLIE. People with clinically diagnosed epilepsy were prospectively enrolled at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu (2014-2015). Regression models were constructed to assess the potential impact of age, sex, residence in the capital city, wealth quintile, educational attainment, seizure in the prior year, seizures with loss of consciousness, self-reported stigma score, and need for multiple antiepileptic drugs. The mean Bhutanese QOLIE-31 score among 172 adults (mean age 31.1 years, 93 female) was 48.9/100±17.7. Younger age, lower educational attainment level, and increased self-perceived stigma were each observed to have an independent, negative association with QOLIE (p<0.05), while a patient's wealth quintile, sex, seizure frequency, seizure type and number of antie...

The Impact of Demographic Characteristics on Health-related Quality of Life Profile of Malaysian Epilepsy Population

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2007

The possibilities of adverse drug reactions and disease-related psychosocial implications have led to the current emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment in epilepsy. The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of various demographic characteristics i.e. gender, age, marital status, ethnic origin, religion, and employment status on HRQoL profiles in Malaysian epilepsy patients. Patients with epilepsy were recruited from ten public hospitals in Sabah, Malaysia. Upon written consents, they completed the Malay Quality of Life In Epilepsy-30 (QOLIE-30) instrument which assesses Seizure Worry, Overall QoL, Emotional Well-Being, Energy/Fatigue, Cognitive Functioning, Medication Effects and Social Functioning. An Overall Score was generated to represent a summarised HRQoL score. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were both carried out using SPSS 14 for (1) all patients and (2) patients possessing Poor QoL (Overall Score < median) and Good QoL (Overall Score ≥ median). One-hundred-and-thirteen patients participated in the study. The respondents ranged from 18–76 years with a mean age of 31 years. Majority were Kadazandusuns (n = 46; 40.7%) and many were unmarried (n = 68; 60.2%), Muslims (n = 50; 44.2%) and unemployed (n = 54; 47.8%). Age was the most significant factor across all patients (B = −0.372, t = −2.238, p = 0.027), regardless of Poor or Good QoL level. Older patients (>56 years) fared the worst in many HRQoL areas. Those with Poor QoL were mostly affected by marital status (widowed/divorced) and ethnic origin (Kadazandusun/Chinese). Religion (Buddhism/Hinduism) emerged as the most prominent HRQoL predictor for patients experiencing Good QoL and being Chinese too played a role. These outcomes indicate that specific demographic characteristics are influential in determining the HRQoL of epilepsy patients. Consequently, healthcare professionals could utilise such information in planning the best treatment and care by considering both the medical and psychosocial impacts towards patients.

The burden of epilepsy: data from an epilepsy clinic

Sri Lanka Journal of Neurology

Introduction: Over half of the 50 million people with epilepsy worldwide are estimated to live in Asia, but information about the recognition of the burden created by the disease is scarce. Studies in the region and in Sri Lanka focusing on the burden of epilepsy are limited. Design/Setting: A retrospective hospital-based study was conducted to determine educational, marital, and employment opportunities of patients with epilepsy attending the epilepsy clinic at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka for one year. An interviewer based questionnaire was used to collect data. Results: Data was gathered from 500 patients. Male to female ratio was 1.08:0.92. Two hundred and twelve patients (42.4%) belonged to the 16 to 30 age group while 140 (28%) were from the 31 to 45 age group. Most of the patients in the aforesaid age groups (n=352) were unemployed (n=211, 59.94%) and only 89 (25.3%) were employed. Two hundred and sixty four patients (75%) were unmarried while 7 (1.9%) were divorced. Th...

Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Adult Epilepsy Patients: a Hospital Based Study from South India

Research in Neurology: An International Journal, 2015

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic condition which affects quality of life (QOL). QOL is considered as an important outcome measure and component of management in studies of adult epilepsy. Objective: To evaluate factors associated with quality of life in adult epilepsy patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed to examine the quality of life in 560 adult patients with epilepsy. The data collected included detailed clinical and socio-demographic data, epilepsy details, psychiatric diagnosis (ICD-10 for Mental and behavioral disorders), Liverpool seizure severity scale (LSSS) and Quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE-31) are assessed. Descriptive statistics-Percentages, ANOVA, Univariate odds and Multiple Logistic Regression analysis with step-down procedure were done. Results: Study population comprised 337 males and 223 females with mean age of 29.26 + 10.83 (range 18-50) years. On Univariate Odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) for single anti-epileptic drug (AED) 2.75(1.85 to 4.09) and absence of psychiatric diagnosis 1.60(1.02 to 2.53) are predictors for good QOL. On one-way ANOVA with QOLIE subscales, seizure frequency and psychiatric diagnosis were found to be statistically significant (p<0.01) but no significant interaction between them. On Logistic Regression step down procedure, psychiatric diagnosis (OR 95% C.I) 7.29(1.65 to 32.10) and multiple AED 1.86(1.24 to 3.51) was found to be predicting factors for poor QOLIE. Conclusion: The presence of psychiatric diagnosis (Depression and Anxiety) was the strongest predictor of poor QOLIE patients. Early psychiatric evaluation and intervention would improve quality of life in epilepsy patients.

Medication prescribing and patient-reported outcome measures in people with epilepsy in Bhutan

Epilepsy & Behavior, 2016

The aim of this study was to assess medication prescribing and patient-reported outcomes among people with epilepsy (PWE) in Bhutan and introduce criteria for evaluating unmet epilepsy care needs, particularly in resource-limited settings. Methods: People with epilepsy in Bhutan (National Referral Hospital, 2014-2015) completed a questionnaire, the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31), and an electroencephalogram (EEG). Management gap was the proportion of participants meeting any of six prespecified criteria based on best practices and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Results: Among 253 participants (53% female, median: 24 years), 93% (n = 235) were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Seventy-two percent (n = 183) had active epilepsy (≥1 seizure in the prior year). At least one criterion was met by 55% (n = 138) of participants, whereas the treatment gap encompassed only 5% (n = 13). The criteria were the following: 1. Among 18 participants taking no AED, 72% (n = 13) had active epilepsy. 2. Among 26 adults on subtherapeutic monotherapy, 46% (n = 12) had active epilepsy. 3. Among 48 participants reporting staring spells, 56% (n = 27) were treated with carbamazepine or phenytoin. 4. Among 101 female participants aged 14-40 years, 23% (n = 23) were treated with sodium valproate. 5. Among 67 participants reporting seizure-related injuries, 87% (n = 58) had active epilepsy. 6. Among 111 participants with a QOLIE-31 score below 50/100, 77% (n = 86) had active epilepsy. Years since first AED treatment (odds ratio: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.12) and epileptiform discharges on EEG (odds ratio: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.29) were significantly associated with more criteria met. Conclusions: By defining the management gap, subpopulations at greatest need for targeted interventions may be prioritized, including those already taking AEDs.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH EPILEPSY IN A COMMUNITY CLINIC

Objective: To study the Demographic profile of patients with Epilepsy. Methodology: A descriptive study of five hundred patients with Epilepsy was counducted in, Ahbab Hospital, (Psychiatric Epilepsy clinic) Ravi Road, Lahore. All patients presented with seizures during that period were included in the study. Their detailed history and appropriate investigations were recorded on a study proforma. Epilepsy was classified according to EEG findings. Results: Out of a total Five hundred patients with Epilepsy who visited Ahbab Hospital majority (62.9%) were of low socio-economic status and belong to rural areas of Pakistan. Males had Epilepsy (58%) more often compared to females (42%). The most common type was Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizure.70% of the patients came with Epilepsy only, 13.0%were having Depression and 10.1%were Mental Retardation and 4.1%had a problem of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. The results of the study conclude that Epilepsy is more common among population with low socioeconomic status in the rural areas and dominantly involves the males.43% of the subjects were suffering from Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures. The risk factors for developing Epilepsy include a positive family history of Epilepsy. Conclusion: Epilepsy is an important health problem. Identification of Demographic profile in a hospital setting will lead to more opportunities to improve preventive measures and quality of life in rural areas. It will also improve knowledge among rural backgrounds and health officials on the problems associated with this disease.

Descriptive epidemiology: prevalence, incidence, sociodemographic factors, socioeconomic domains, and quality of life of epilepsy: an update and systematic review

2018

Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of quality of life (QOL), sociodemographic factors (age, sex, etc.), residential areas, general attitudes toward epilepsy, socioeconomic domains, prevalence and incidence in epileptic patients from Iran. Material and methods A systematic literature search was conducted, including database searches in PubMed, Medline, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus, ISC, Health, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library Database of relevant articles, personal files and systematic reviews to identify studies examining risk factors in epilepsy. Results This review article shows that certain socio-demographic and socio-economic factors, geographic variation in epidemiologic patterns of epilepsy as well as clinical factors may be crucial in determining QOL in epilepsy patients and provides further evidence supporting the validity of the scale in QOL based on consideration of different target groups in different areas. Conclusions P...

Quality of Life in Patients with Epilepsy: Study from a Northern Indian Teaching Hospital

Journal of Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology

Objectives Epilepsy is a significant public health problem in the world today. The social stigma and impact on quality of life (QOL) may pose a bigger challenge than the clinical severity. In India, there are not many studies using quality of life in epilepsy (QOLIE-31) questionnaire to study the QOL in epileptic patients. This study may be useful in planning the management of patients with epilepsy. So, our study was conducted to determine the level of health-related QOL (HRQOL) of patients with epilepsy in a teaching hospital. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted in a teaching hospital from March to October 2015. The subjects included both male and female adults of at least 18 years of age with a diagnosis of epilepsy, which was present for minimum 1 year. The QOLIE-31 was used for collecting data on HRQOL. Results Totally, 70 patients with epilepsy were included in the study. The standard deviation (mean) total score of QOLIE-31 in...