A longitudinal study of epilepsy in Kolkata, India

Abstract

SUMMARYPurpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates of epilepsy in the city of Kolkata, India. This is the first such longitudinal study in a heterogeneous urban Indian population. Methods: A two-stage door-to-door survey of a stratified random sample was undertaken within the municipal limits of Kolkata. Trained field workers detected and interviewed the cases using a simple screening questionnaire, and the detailed follow-up was done by neurologists. The survey was conducted annually for five consecutive years from March 2003 through February 2008. Results: A total of 52,377 (52.74% men) individuals were screened. There were 309 prevalent and 66 incident cases of active epilepsy. The prevalence and average annual incidence rate (AAIR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), age-standardized to World Standard Population, were 572.8 (509.79-641.54) per 100,000 and 27.27 (21.03-34.80) per 100,000 per year, respectively. The age-specific incidence rates of epilepsy showed bimodal distribution. During the 5-year period, 20 cases of active epilepsy died. The average annual mortality rate (AAMR) was 7.63 (95% CI 4.45-11.26) per 100,000 population per year. Compared to the general population of Kolkata, the all-cause standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for persons with epilepsy was 2.58 overall (men 3.67; women 1.77). There was no significant difference between slum and nonslum dwellers in epidemiologic parameters. Conclusions: The AAIR of epilepsy is comparable to that observed in developed countries, but AAMR is higher. The all-cause SMR for epilepsy relative to the general population is, however, similar to that of developed nations.

Prevalence, Demographic Profile, and Psychological Aspects of Epilepsy in North-Western India: A Community-Based Observational Study

“…Some studies report significantly higher prevalence rates in the developing countries as compared to developed countries 12.7/1,000 in rural areas and 5.9/1,000 in urban areas [3, 4]. From 1964 onwards, various epidemiology studies in India have reported widely varying prevalence rates ranging between 1.3 and 11.9 per 1,000 population [5-11]. The application of epidemiological data of epilepsy extends beyond prevalence and incidence [7].…”

Clinical study of myoclonic epileptic syndromes

“…Though recently conducted study in Calcutta has some similar incidence profile comparable to this study. 11 Study population of 66. Incidence of myoclonic epilepsy in Hodskins et al was found to be 10 to 15%.…”

Pattern of Childhood Epilepsy in a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Hence an early diagnosis of this condition is important to counsel them regarding certain benign conditions, to start specific treatment to attain remission and for giving advice regarding the prognosis to the parents. There are several Indian studies in the past which shows the prevalence of epilepsy to be were 572.8 (509.79-641.54) per 100, 000 (2) . Another study by Shah PA et al found the age-specific prevalence was3.82/1000 (6-10 years), 3.44/1000 (11-14 years) and 2.33/1000 (15-18 years) (3) .Prevalence studies from India suggest that epilepsy prevalence is similar to developed nations (4) .There are limited studies in children in this part of our country to find the varying clinical pattern of epilepsy.…”