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Review
. 2023 Mar;8(1):32-45.
doi: 10.1002/epi4.12686. Epub 2023 Jan 1.

Status of epilepsy in the tropics: An overlooked perspective

Jiaqi Liu  1   2 , Peng Zhang  1   2   3 , Qin Zou  4 , Jiantang Liang  1   2 , Yongmin Chen  5 , Yi Cai  1 , Shichuo Li  6 , Jinmei Li  7 , Jing Su  1 , Qifu Li  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Status of epilepsy in the tropics: An overlooked perspective

Jiaqi Liu et al. Epilepsia Open. 2023 Mar.

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic neurological diseases affecting people of all ages globally. It is characterized by recurrent seizures. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. Indubitably, people with epilepsy (PWE) may be without access to appropriate treatment. Many studies have examined the molecular mechanisms and clinical aspects of epilepsy; nonetheless, the treatment gap exists in some special areas. In the tropics, the specific geographical and ecological conditions and a lack of medical resources result in neglect or delay of diagnosis for PWE. Herein, we summarized the epidemiology of epilepsy in the tropics and discussed the disease burden and existing problems, aiming to offer a medical environment for patients in need and highlight the importance of reducing the epileptic disease burden in tropical countries.

Keywords: disease burden; disease status; epidemiology; epilepsy; tropics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that they have no competing interests

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Distribution diagram of tropical regions and countries
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Life quality of epilepsy patients. Epilepsy can make a vital impact on PWE. For physical health, impairment of physical function is usually accompanied by the progression of epilepsy. Generally, apnea caused by epileptic seizure or symptoms including vertigo and nausea resulting in cerebral hypoxia is a common clinical manifestation. Besides, active or passive accident harm also could happen on PWE, even lose their self‐care ability to an extent. For psychological/psychic disorders, PWE usually has a deep sense of isolation as for their random seizure. Meanwhile, comorbidity such as depression and anxiety is also worth taking seriously, which is sometimes ignored. For cognitive function, impairment of memory and attention dropped happens commonly among PWE, which could manifest as forgetfulness in adults and poor academic performance in children. For social function, the epileptic seizure could keep PWE away from normal social contact and the opportunity to accept education, which even leads to a rising unemployment rate among PWE. Put it another way, social dysfunction is also the result of the combined effects of the above factors, which affect the QoL among PWE from lots of perspectives
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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