Epilepsy & behavior : E&B
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Mar 2014
Risk of severe and repetitive traumatic brain injury in persons with epilepsy: a population-based case-control study.
While traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to epilepsy, individuals with preexisting epilepsy or seizure disorder (ESD), depending on the type of epilepsy and the degree of seizure control, may have a greater risk of TBI from seizure activity or medication side effects. The joint occurrence of ESD and TBI can complicate recovery as signs and symptoms of TBI may be mistaken for postictal effects. Those with ESD are predicted to experience more deleterious outcomes either because of having a more severe TBI or because of the cumulative effects of repetitive TBI. ⋯ The consequences of TBI may be greater in individuals with ESD owing to the potential for a more severe or repetitive TBI. Seizure control is paramount, and aggressive management of comorbid conditions among persons with ESD and increased awareness of the hazard of repetitive TBI is warranted. Furthermore, future studies are needed to examine the long-term outcomes of cases in comparison with controls to determine if the higher risk of severe or repetitive TBI translates into permanent deficits.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Feb 2014
Use of the Sleep Apnea Scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SA-SDQ) in adults with epilepsy.
A growing body of literature supports the importance of sleep comorbidities in epilepsy. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults with epilepsy exceeds that of the general population, and its presence adversely impacts seizure control in some cases. The Sleep Apnea Scale of the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SA-SDQ) is a 12-item screening instrument generally used in clinical research. One prior study suggested modified cutoffs for the prediction of OSA in adults with epilepsy using this instrument. Our purpose was to further investigate the validity of the SA-SDQ in adults with epilepsy. ⋯ Our work confirms the validity of the SA-SDQ as a screening instrument for OSA in clinical research involving adults with epilepsy. Further, our findings support the use of cutoffs lower than those applied to the general population and a single cutoff score (25) for predicting any severity of OSA in adults with epilepsy.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Feb 2014
Why do people Google epilepsy? An infodemiological study of online behavior for epilepsy-related search terms.
Millions of people worldwide use the Internet daily as a source of health information. Google is the most popular search engine and is used by patients and physicians to search for online health-related information. This study aimed to evaluate changes in web search behavior occurring in English-speaking countries over time for terms related to epilepsy and epileptic seizures. ⋯ The volume of searches for the term "epilepsy SUDEP" was found to be enormously increased over time. Most people appear to use search engines to look for terms related to epilepsy to obtain information on seizure symptoms, possibly to aid initial self-diagnosis. Fears and worries about epileptic seizures and news on celebrities with epilepsy seem to be major factors that influence online search behavior.
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Epilepsy & behavior : E&B · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyAustralia's seizure divide - indigenous versus non-indigenous seizure hospitalization.
Indigenous Australians suffer the highest mortality and morbidity rates of any ethnic minority in the developed world. To determine if the health outcome gulf between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians also applied to seizures, we conducted a retrospective analysis of seizure hospitalization (1998-2004) based on ethnicity (indigenous (I) and non-indigenous (NI)) for four Australian jurisdictions - Northern Territory (NT), Queensland (Qld), South Australia (SA), and Western Australia (WA). Total admissions were converted to age-standardized rates (ASR) and I/NI ASR ratios (I/NIRR) and compared across multiple variables. ⋯ Indigenous males aged 15-64years were overrepresented. Indigenous patients had lengthier admissions but higher self-discharge and readmission rates. The socioeconomic data raise the concern that social disadvantage restricts access to hospital-based seizure care for indigenous patients.