Prevalence of epilepsy, beliefs and attitudes in a rural community in Mexico: A door-to-door survey.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to establish the prevalence of seizure history (SH) and epilepsy in a rural community in Hidalgo, Mexico and determine the patients' beliefs and attitudes towards the disease and its initial medical treatment. METHODOLOGY: A transverse, descriptive, door-to-door epidemiological study (April 2011-November 2012) was conducted with 863 inhabitants from Xocotitla, Huejutla, Hidalgo, Mexico (162 housing units). Patients with SH were identified with an adaptation of the WHO protocol for epidemiological studies of neurological diseases. Afterwards, the subjects identified with seizure history (SH) or epilepsy were interviewed with a 20-question Likert type questionnaire regarding the management and belief set of their SH. The interviews were conducted in Spanish and Nahuatl. RESULTS: The prevalence of epilepsy and isolated nonrecurring seizures was 38.2/1000 and 25.4/1000, respectively. Out of the total population of 863 inhabitants, 33/863 were identified with SH: only 39.3% were able to identify an epileptic seizure as such, 48.5% sought medical attention upon the first seizure, 33.3% used a traditional healer, 15.2% took no action, 3% sought a religious representative, 85% lacked any lab analysis, and 60% received no antiepileptic drugs. Only 39% received free local medical attention, 69.7% considered seizures and epilepsy to be a consequence of divine intervention, and 94% reported some type of discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of epilepsy and SH was found in this rural community in Mexico. Divine/religious beliefs, discrimination, scarce access to basic health services and inadequate medical management of epilepsy and SH persist.

A blinded pilot study of artwork in a comprehensive epilepsy center population.

The production of artwork is a complex neurological task. A controlled study of artwork produced by people with epilepsy has not previously been performed. The present report details the results of a three-part study involving 60 subjects from a comprehensive epilepsy center population. Subjects were grouped by the following diagnoses: seizures, partial seizures, complex partial seizures with temporal focus, and nonepileptic events. Data were collected in a blinded fashion. The Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale task showed significant effects in patients with epileptic seizures. The Free Drawing was most sensitive to complex partial seizures with temporal focus, while the Outline was most predictive of nonepileptic events. In addition to giving some insight into the neurological functioning of these subjects, this pilot study provides a basis for the future development of diagnostic tests to be used within this patient group.