The effect of weather, air pollution and seasonality on the number of patient visits for epileptic seizures: A population-based time-series study

Chiang, Kuo-Liang; Lee, Jen‐Yu; Chang, Yu Mei; Kuo, Fang-Chuan; Huang, Chin‐Yin

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107487

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…36 Chiang and colleagues examined the number of outpatient and inpatient visits in patients with epilepsy as a function of air pollutants and ambient temperature and showed that there was a statistically significant association with ambient temperature and various air pollutants, with more visits during the winter months. 37…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurology in a Changing Climate: A Scoping Review

Louis

Carlson

Suresh

et al. 2021

Preprint

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ImportanceAlthough the international community collectively seeks to reduce global temperature rise to less than 1.5ºC, there are already irreversible environmental changes that have occurred, and currently available evidence suggests these changes will continue to occur. As we begin to witness the effects of a warming planet on human health, it is imperative that as neurologists we anticipate the ways in which the epidemiology and incidence of neurologic disease may be affected.ObjectiveIn this review, we organize our analysis around three key themes related to climate change and neurologic health: extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations, emerging neuro-infectious diseases, and pollutant impacts. Across each of these key themes, we appraise and review recent literature relevant to neurological disease and the practice of neurology.Evidence ReviewStudies were identified using a set of relevant search terms relating to climate change and neurologic diseases in the PubMed repository for publications between 1990 and 2021. Studies were included if they pertained to human incidence or prevalence of disease, were in the English language, and were relevant to neurologic disease.FindingsWe identified a total of 136 articles, grouped into the three key themes of our study; extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations (23 studies), emerging neuro-infectious diseases (42 studies), and pollutant impacts (71 studies). Broadly, the studies included highlighted the relationships between neurologic symptom exacerbation and temperature variability, tick-borne infections and warming climates, and airborne pollutants and cerebrovascular disease incidence and severity.Conclusions and RelevanceOur work highlights three key priorities for further work; namely, neuro-infectious disease risk mitigation, an understanding of the pathophysiology of airborne pollutants on the nervous system, and research into how to improve delivery of neurologic care in the face of climate-related disruptions.Key PointsQuestionHow does climate change impact neurological disease?Findings136 articles were identified relating neurologic disease to climate change. Articles were grouped into three key themes, highlighting evidence linking neurologic disease exacerbation to temperature fluctuation, tick-borne infections with climate change, and airborne pollutants to cerebrovascular disease.MeaningA substantial body of literature suggests that neurologic disease incidence, morbidity, and mortality is directly impacted by climate change and its sequelae, but much remains to be uncovered.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurology in a Changing Climate: A Scoping Review

Louis

Carlson

Suresh

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…In addition, our study showed that the seasonal pattern increased the hospitalization of epilepsy (rainy: 0.379 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.200 to 0.558] and winter: 0.491 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.308 to 0.674]) and SE (rainy: 0.060 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.034 to 0.085] and winter: 0.061 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.035 to 0.087]), which was in accordance with previous research reporting that seasonality affected the number of epileptic seizures. 39 , 40 , 41 Preferably in a country with a generally hot temperature, the turning from hot to cold weather is one of the triggers to increase the risk of seizures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of COVID‐19 measures on the hospitalization of patients with epilepsy and status epilepticus in Thailand: An interrupted time series analysis

Sirikarn

Tiamkao

2022

Epilepsia Open

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Objective To investigate the effect of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) measures on the hospitalization of patients with epilepsy and status epilepticus (SE). Methods This interrupted time series design included data from the Thai Universal Coverage Scheme electronic database between January 2017 and September 2020. The monthly hospitalization rate of epilepsy and SE was calculated by the number of hospitalizations divided by the midyear population. Segmented regression fitted by ordinary least squares (OLS) was used to detect the immediate and overtime effects of COVID‐19 measures on the hospitalization rate. Results During January 2017 and September 2020, the numbers of epilepsy and SE patients admitted to the hospital were 129 402 and 15 547 episodes, respectively. The monthly trend of the hospitalization rate in epilepsy decreased immediately after the COVID‐19 measure (0.739 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.219 to 1.260]). In particular, the number of children declined to 1.178 per 100 000 population, and the number of elderly individuals dropped to 0.467 per 100 000 population, while there was a nonstatistically significant change in SE. Significance COVID‐19 measures reduced the hospital rate in epilepsy, particularly in children and adults. However, there was no change in SE patients.

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“…In recent years, systematic research into the health issues caused by air pollution has been directly focused on the effects of firework-related pollutants [ 11 , 12 ]. Findings from studies on mental disorders have also revealed that short-term air pollution exposure is associated with an increased risk of hospitalizations related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [ 54 ], depression [ 54 ], schizophrenia, and epileptic seizures and/or hospitalizations [ 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. Further, early research suggests that short term exposure to high air pollution concentrations could play a role in COVID-19 outcomes and exacerbations [ 60 , 61 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of 4th of July Fireworks on Spatiotemporal PM2.5 Concentrations in California Based on the PurpleAir Sensor Network: Implications for Policy and Environmental Justice

Mousavi

Yuan

Masri

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Fireworks are often used in celebration, causing short term, extremely high particulate matter air pollution. In recent years, the rapid development and expansion of low-cost air quality sensors by companies such as PurpleAir has enabled an understanding of air pollution at a much higher spatiotemporal resolution compared to traditional monitoring networks. In this study, real-time PM2.5 measurements from 751 PurpleAir sensors operating from June to July in 2019 and 2020 were used to examine the impact of 4th of July fireworks on hourly and daily PM2.5 concentrations at the census tract and county levels in California. American Community Survey (ACS) and CalEnviroScreen 3.0 data were used to identify correlations between PM2.5 measurements and socioeconomic status (SES). A two-step method was implemented to assure the quality of raw PM2.5 sensor data and sensor calibration against co-located reference instruments. The results showed that over 67% and 81% of counties experienced immediate impacts related to fireworks in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Relative to 2019, the peak PM2.5 concentrations on July 4th and 5th 2020 were, on average, over 50% higher in California, likely due to the COVID-19-related increase in the use of household-level fireworks. This increase was most pronounced in southern counties, which tend to have less strict firework-related regulations and a greater use of illegal fireworks. Los Angeles County experienced the highest July 4th daily PM2.5 levels both in 2019 (29.9 µg·m−3) and 2020 (42.6 µg·m−3). Spatial hot spot analyses generally showed these southern counties (e.g., Los Angeles County) to be regional air pollution hotspots, whereas the opposite pattern was seen in the north (e.g., San Francisco). The results also showed PM2.5 peaks that were over two-times higher among communities with lower SES, higher minority group populations, and higher asthma rates. Our findings highlight the important role that policy and enforcement can play in reducing firework-related air pollution and protecting public health, as exemplified by southern California, where policy was more relaxed and air pollution was higher (especially in 2020 when the 4th of July coincided with the COVID-19-lockdown period), and in disadvantaged communities where disparities were greatest.

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The effect of weather, air pollution and seasonality on the number of patient visits for epileptic seizures: A population-based time-series study

Cited by 26 publications

References 45 publications

Neurology in a Changing Climate: A Scoping Review

Neurology in a Changing Climate: A Scoping Review

The effects of COVID‐19 measures on the hospitalization of patients with epilepsy and status epilepticus in Thailand: An interrupted time series analysis

Impact of 4th of July Fireworks on Spatiotemporal PM2.5 Concentrations in California Based on the PurpleAir Sensor Network: Implications for Policy and Environmental Justice

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