Clinical features, proximate causes, and consequences of active convulsive epilepsy in Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Epilepsy is common in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the clinical features and consequences are poorly characterized. Most studies are hospital-based, and few studies have compared different ecological sites in SSA. We described active convulsive epilepsy (ACE) identified in cross-sectional community-based surveys in SSA, to understand the proximate causes, features, and consequences.

Methods

We performed a detailed clinical and neurophysiologic description of ACE cases identified from a community survey of 584,586 people using medical history, neurologic examination, and electroencephalography (EEG) data from five sites in Africa: South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; Kenya; and Ghana. The cases were examined by clinicians to discover risk factors, clinical features, and c

SUBMITTER: Kariuki SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4074306 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature