Epilepsia
-
A simple definition of the treatment gap is the number of people with a condition or disease who need treatment for it but who do not get it. It is an underutilised measure of health care. ⋯ The treatment gap in epilepsy is very high in the developing world. Possible causes of the treatment gap have been listed, but these have not been investigated.
-
We briefly describe the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study, its goals, and some of its outcomes as related to neurologic and psychiatric disorders. The summary measure of population health DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) are described, as well as the implications for neuropsychiatric disorders of changing health indicators and the move from mortality toward disability indicators. ⋯ The implications of a shift toward considering the disability of epilepsy, as outlined in the the WHO World Health Report 2001, are important. The burden of epilepsy is high and, for the year 2000, accounts for approximately 0.5% of the whole burden of diseases in the world.
-
Nonpharmacologic conservative treatments receive too little attention. Depending on the clinical condition of the patients, they may be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies. Their target is the single seizure rather than the epileptic condition as such. ⋯ The latter are individually tailored, based either on spontaneous experiences of the patient or on the anatomy of ictogenesis. Seizure propagation is blocked when a major part of the neurons involved is activated and not recruitable for spread of the epileptic discharge. Seizure arrest rarely is used alone but usually in combination with partially successful pharmacotherapy.