Knowledge about epilepsy among teachers and epileptic patients.

223 epileptics patients and their families and 136 teachers from public and private schools were submitted to similar questionnaires related to inheritance, transmission, cure, complication rates, care during seizures, need for information on the disease, habits, comparison with other diseases and to the educational and social performance of epileptics. Cure and complication rates accounted for the main differences between those populations. Epileptics could recognize a bigger number of complications but still expected to be cured from the disease. The majority of teachers and patients have never been informed about epilepsy and this finding was related to the big number of equivocal answers obtained from them. Put together, the data showed that social and educational performance of epileptic patients could be disturbed by medical and social parameters. Some of them could be improved by an educational program towards these aspects of epilepsy.

Knowledge about epilepsy among teachers and epileptic patients

223 pacientes epiléptico e suas famílias e 136 professores da rede pública e privada foram submetidos a questionários similares que incluíam questöes relacionadas à hereditariedade, transmissibilidade, cura, complicaçöes, cuidados durante as crises, necessidade de informaçöes acerca da doença, Hábitos, comparaçöes com outras doenças e performances sociais e educacionais de epilépticos. Taxas presumidas de cura e complicaçöes representaram a maior diferença entre as duas populacöes. Epilépticos reconhecem um maior número de complicaçöes mas persistem acreditando na cura de sua moléstia. A maioria dos professores e pacientes jamais havia recebido qualquer informaçäo sobre epilepsia e isto possivelmente relacicona-se às respostas equívocas que foram obtidas. Em suma, os dados sugerem que as performances sociais e educacionais de pacientes epilépticos podem ser modificadas por parâmetros médicos e sociais, alguns dos quais podem ser melhorados através de um programa educacional direcionado aos aspectos sociais das epilepsias