Epidemiology of epilepsy in developing countries. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Epilepsy is an important health problem in developing countries, where its prevalence can be up to 57 per 1000 population. This article reviews the epidemiology of epilepsy in developing countries in terms of its incidence, prevalence, seizure type, mortality data, and etiological factors. The prevalence of epilepsy is particularly high in Latin America and in several African countries, notably Liberia, Nigeria, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Parasitic infections, particularly neurocysticercosis, are important etiological factors for epilepsy in many of these countries. Other reasons for the high prevalence include intracranial infections of bacterial or viral origin, perinatal brain damage, head injuries, toxic agents, and hereditary factors. Many of these factors are, however, preventable or modifiable, and the introduction of appropriate measures to achieve this could lead to a substantial decrease in the incidence of epilepsy in developing countries.

publication date

  • January 1, 1993

Research

keywords

  • Developing Countries
  • Epilepsy

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC2393447

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0027175362

PubMed ID

  • 8490989

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 71

issue

  • 2