A rare case of drug sensitive adult-onset temporal lobe epilepsy due to a focal cortical dysplasia revealed by ictal coughing: First report in sub-Saharan Africa.

This case suggests that clinicians should consider seizures as a differential diagnosis of paroxystic cough with loss of consciousness. Focal cortical dysplasia should equally be screened for with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans even in adults with epilepsy in sub-Saharan Africa.

COVID-19 Preventive Behaviours in Cameroon: A Six-Month Online National Survey.

Since March 2020, the Cameroonian government implemented nationwide measures to stall COVID-19 transmission. However, little is known about how well these unprecedented measures are being observed as the pandemic evolves. We conducted a six-month online survey to assess the preventive behaviour of Cameroonian adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. A five-point adherence score was constructed based on self-reported observance of the following preventive measures: physical distancing, face mask use, hand hygiene, not touching one's face, and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing. Predictors of adherence were investigated using ordinal logistic regression models. Of the 7381 responses received from all ten regions, 73.3% were from male respondents and overall mean age was 32.8 ± 10.8 years. Overall mean adherence score was 3.96 ± 1.11 on a scale of 0-5. Mean weekly adherence scores were initially high, but gradually decreased over time accompanied by increasing incidence of COVID-19 during the last study weeks. Predictors for higher adherence included higher age, receiving COVID-19 information from health personnel, and agreeing with the necessity of lockdown measures. Meanwhile, experiencing flu-like symptoms was associated with poor adherence. Continuous observance of preventive measures should be encouraged among Cameroonians in the medium- to long-term to avoid a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.

Epilepsy in the Sanaga-Mbam valley, an onchocerciasis-endemic region in Cameroon: electroclinical and neuropsychological findings.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is highly prevalent in onchocerciasis-endemic African regions. Various types of epilepsy have been described in such regions based essentially on clinical characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a clinical, neurophysiological and neuropsychological study of epilepsy in the onchocerciasis-endemic region of Ntui, Sanaga-Mbam area, Cameroon. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-seven persons with presumed epilepsy were recruited in an epilepsy clinic in Ntui. Epilepsy was clinically confirmed in 144 (79%) subjects, 69 (46.0%) of them met the onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE) criteria, and 51 of 106 tested (48.1%) presented Ov16 antibodies. Electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded in 91 participants, of which 36 (33%) were considered abnormal and 27 of 36 (75%) revealed bifrontotemporal spike and slow waves. Concerning the neuropsychological evaluation, 29% showed severe global cognitive impairment, 28% severe episodic memory impairment, and 66% severe frontal cognitive impairment. Half of the persons with epilepsy (PWE) suffered from a mental disorder. SIGNIFICANCE: In PWE in the Sanaga-Mbam area in Cameroon, we observed EEG patterns similar to those described among persons with OAE, including nodding syndrome in other onchocerciasis-endemic areas. Most PWE presented with severe cognitive impairment. We hypothesize that onchocerciasis may induce neurocognitive disorders and epilepsy via a mechanism that involves mainly the frontal and temporal regions of the brain.

Epilepsy-associated neurocognitive disorders (EAND) in an onchocerciasis-endemic rural community in Cameroon: A population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy affects at least 50 million individuals worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). Cognitive impairment is common in people with epilepsy (PWE) yet, little is known on the burden of cognitive impairment in people with epilepsy in sSA. This study was thus designed to assess cognitive impairment in PWE or epilepsy-associated neurocognitive disorders (EAND) in a rural population in Cameroon. METHODS: This was a case-control study including PWE and age/sex-matched healthy controls from July to September 2017 in Bilomo, a village in the Mbam and Kim Division. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS), Dubois' Five Word testing, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Isaac's Set Test and the Clock drawing test were administered to the study participants to evaluate global and specific cognitive functions. RESULTS: Eighty participants were included (40 cases and 40 controls) with a mean age of 25.78 years. Using the MoCA, 87.5% of cases had cognitive impairment, against 37.5% of controls (p < 0.001; OR 11.67; CI 3.40-45.09). Using the IHDS, the prevalence of global cognitive impairment was 84.6% among the cases against 40% for the controls (p = <0.001; OR 7.07; CI 2.29-29.19). Specifically, executive function deficits (92.5% of cases vs 40.0% of controls p = <0.001 OR = 18.50 CI; 4.48-105.08) and decreased verbal fluency (100% of cases against 45% of controls p < 0.001) were the most affected cognitive domains. Longer duration of epilepsy and higher seizure frequency were associated with global cognitive impairment. Low level of education was associated with both decreased verbal fluency and executive dysfunction while a longer stay in Bilomo correlated with poor results on the Isaac's Set Test. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of cognitive impairment appears to be much higher in PWE in the Mbam valley, particularly decreased executive function and verbal fluency, than in people without epilepsy. Longer disease duration, higher seizure frequency, low level of education and length of stay in Bilomo are associated with poorer cognitive performance. More studies are needed to refine evaluation tools to better characterize and manage EAND in sSA.