Adult Prevalence of Epilepsy in Spain: EPIBERIA, a Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: This study assesses the lifetime and active prevalence of epilepsy in Spain in people older than 18 years. METHODS: EPIBERIA is a population-based epidemiological study of epilepsy prevalence using data from three representative Spanish regions (health districts in Zaragoza, Almería, and Seville) between 2012 and 2013. The study consisted of two phases: screening and confirmation. Participants completed a previously validated questionnaire (EPIBERIA questionnaire) over the telephone. RESULTS: A total of 1741 valid questionnaires were obtained, including 261 (14.99%) raising a suspicion of epilepsy. Of these suspected cases, 216 (82.75%) agreed to participate in phase 2. Of the phase 2 participants, 22 met the International League Against Epilepsy's diagnostic criteria for epilepsy. The estimated lifetime prevalence, adjusted by age and sex per 1,000 people, was 14.87 (95% CI: 9.8-21.9). Active prevalence was 5.79 (95% CI: 2.8-10.6). No significant age, sex, or regional differences in prevalence were detected. CONCLUSIONS: EPIBERIA provides the most accurate estimate of epilepsy prevalence in the Mediterranean region based on its original methodology and its adherence to ILAE recommendations. We highlight that the lifetime prevalence and inactive epilepsy prevalence figures observed here were compared to other epidemiological studies.

La encefalopatía espongiforme: ¿un trastorno conversivo? / Spongiform encephalopathy: a conversive disorder?

Las prionpatías, constituyen un grupo de enfermedades neurodegenerativas con presentación familiar, esporádica o adquirida, con clínica heterogenea y resultado fatal. Los síntomas psiquiátricos pueden estar presentes al inicio y/o durante la evolución del cuadro, con la presencia o no de focalidad neurológica. Esta condición conlleva a que estos pacientes sean derivados a unidades de Psiquiatría tanto a nivel hospitalario como ambulatorio, para estudio de trastornos psiquiátricos. El caso clínico que nos ocupa el paciente fue atendido en varias ocasiones en las Urgencias Hospitalarias, evaluado por neurólogos y psiquiatras con diversos diagnósticos psiquiátricos. Sin embargo, la encefalopatía espongiforme sólo fue diagnosticada en el último mes de enfermedad (AU)

Prionpathies represent a group of neurodegenerative diseases of familiar, sporadic or acquired origin, heterogeneous symptoms and fatal outcome. The psychiatric symptoms can be present at the beginning and/or during the clinical evolution, with the presence or not of neurological disorders. Patients with these sympthoms are referred to psychiatric units, both at hospital level and as outpatients, to study a psychiatric disorder. In the described clinical case, the patient was admitted several times at emergency units, rated by neurologists and psychiatrists leading to different psychiatric disorders diagnoses. However spongiform encephalopathy was diagnosed only during the last month of the disease (AU)