Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Epilepsy Patients in North India

Abstract

Background Religious and sociocultural beliefs influence the nature of treatment and care received by people with epilepsy. Objective This study aimed to study knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among epilepsy patients in north India. Materials and Methods In this study, 201 patients attending the outpatient and inpatient services of the neurology department of Sir Sunderlal Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, were asked to fill a questionnaire comprising 25 questions assessing the KAPs in English or Hindi, whichever the patient was proficient with. The same questionnaire was also given to 200 patients without epilepsy for the control group. Responses were recorded as yes/no/do not know. Results Approximately, 67% of the patients consisted of a young population, of which 64.7% were males and 35.3% were females. Around 25.9% of patients had studied up to 10th class, 96.5% of patients had heard of epilepsy, and 89.05% thought it was treatable by modern drugs. Out of all patients, 80.1% of patients believed that epilepsy was not contagious, 87.6% believed that they can work, 93.5% believed that they can marry, 66.5% did not feel discriminated by batchmates, and 78.5% did not feel discriminated by teachers. Of all patients, 41.8% said that they would disclose the epileptic condition of their daughters before marriage and 96.01% knew epilepsy patients should be taken to hospital. Conclusion Poor knowledge, negative attitude, and malpractices regarding epilepsy are still prevalent in North India. Epilepsy patients have better knowledge than normal people about this disease. There is still a need to educate people about epilepsy.

Perception of the general population on Epilepsy and Antiepileptic drugs: A questionnaire-based study

“…The majority of our participants were aware of epilepsy, its symptoms, and its relation to brain disorders, similar to other studies 8,13,14 . But most of our subjects muddled epilepsy with insanity and overstated the role of hereditary factors in epilepsy, in line with several other works 2,8,12,15,16,20 .Contrarily, developed countries had a greater understanding of the lack of connection between epilepsy and insanity or hereditary 21 . In comparison to earlier Indian studies, a considerably higher number of individuals in our study believed epilepsy was contagious, caused by supernatural powers, and the sins of ancestors or patients 2,5,8,12,14,16 .…”

“…The prevalidated online questionnaire, (derived from a 2016 KAP study in a South Indian village and a 2020 study by Sethi et al in North India) was designed in both English and Tamil using Google Forms as a data collection tool and it was shared via WhatsApp with non-medical friends, family members, relatives, and their mutual contacts 2,5 . A description of the nature of the study and willingness to participate was incorporated at the beginning of the Google Form.…”

“…Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of brain function characterized by the recurrent and unpredictable occurrence of seizures 1 .Around 1% of the world's population has epilepsy, which is the fourth most common neurologic disorder after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease 1 .The annual incidence of epilepsy in India is approximately 40 to 50 per 100,000 per year, and the disease burden is higher (80%) in developing countries 2 .Epilepsy significantly impacts the medical, psychological, economic, and social aspects of the affected individuals, their families, and the community 3,4 .Studies have shown that, despite advancements in educational and social parameters, including technology and communication, there has been no significant change in the deep-rooted stigmas, perceptions, and discrimination of epilepsy throughout India and other developing countries compared to the developed countries [4][5][6] .There is also a noteworthy treatment gap among epilepsy patients due to this lack of cognizance 2,7,8 . Improving disease awareness and comprehension can aid in epilepsy prevention and treatment 2 .Hence, understanding the public's perception, attitudes, and practices regarding epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is critical, as misconceptions about the disease have a negative impact on sufferers' quality of life (QOL) 9 .Though there are some original research articles on this topic from different states of India, because of the differences in the population investigated as well as the questionnaires and procedures utilized, the results are not strictly comparable 2,5,6,8,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Except for a few Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) studies in rural northeastern Tamil Nadu (TN), explorations targeting the non-epileptic general population of TN are very limited; hence, this research may help to assess the extent of the problem and provide additional insight into public KAP 5,10 .…”

The neuroprotective effect of Dl-3-n-butylphthalide in epileptic rats via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress

“…According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 50 million patients with EP worldwide and approximately six million patients with active EP in China [30]. After standardised and reasonable drug treatment, among newly diagnosed EP patients, 70-80% can be controlled, and approximately 60-70% of patients no longer need treatment with drugs after 2-5 years [31]. However, in approximately 40% of patients with EP, it cannot be completely controlled and progresses to refractory EP [31].…”

“…After standardised and reasonable drug treatment, among newly diagnosed EP patients, 70-80% can be controlled, and approximately 60-70% of patients no longer need treatment with drugs after 2-5 years [31]. However, in approximately 40% of patients with EP, it cannot be completely controlled and progresses to refractory EP [31]. It is of great significance to research and develop effective new drugs for the treatment of EP.…”