Browsing by Author "Beghi, Ettore"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Comment on epileptic seizures and epilepsy: definitions proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE)
(2005-10) Beghi, Ettore; Carpio, Arturo; Berg, Anne; Forsgren, Lars; Hesdorffer, Dale C.; Hauser, W. Allen; Malmgren, Kristina; Shinnar, Shlomo; Temkin, Nancy; Thurman, David; Tomson, Torbjörn
Mortality of Epilepsy in Developing Countries
(2005-12-14) Carpio, Arturo; Bharuch, N. E.; Jallon, P.; Beghi, Ettore; Campostrini, R.; Zorzetto, S.; Mounkoro, P. P.
During the last two decades, there has been a renewed interest in studying epidemiology of epilepsy in developing countries. While there are data on prevalence of epilepsy from many developing countries, there is very little information on the mortality of epilepsy in these same populations. This is because incidence studies of epilepsy are difficult to perform, death certificates are unreliable and often unavailable, and the cause of death is difficult to determine. We report on several studies of mortality in epilepsy in developing countries: Ecuador; the Parsi community of Bombay; a semiurban community in Vasai, India; Mali; Martinique; and Africa. Overall, these studies in general illustrate excess mortality among people with epilepsy when compared with the general population.
Recommendation for a definition of acute symptomatic seizure
(2010-04) Beghi, Ettore; Carpio, Arturo; Forsgren, Lars; Hesdorffer, Dale C.; Malmgren, Kristina; Sander, Josemir W. A. S.; Tomson, Torbjörn; Hauser, W. Allen
PURPOSE: To consider the definition of acute symptomatic seizures for epidemiological studies, and to refine the criteria used to distinguish these seizures from unprovoked seizures for specific etiologies. METHODS: Systematic review of the literature and of epidemiologic studies. RESULTS: An acute symptomatic seizure is defined as a clinical seizure occurring at the time of a systemic insult or in close temporal association with a documented brain insult. Suggestions are made to define acute symptomatic seizures as those events occurring within 1 week of stroke, traumatic brain injury, anoxic encephalopathy, or intracranial surgery; at first identification of subdural hematoma; at the presence of an active central nervous system (CNS) infection; or during an active phase of multiple sclerosis or other autoimmune diseases. In addition, a diagnosis of acute symptomatic seizure should be made in the presence of severe metabolic derangements (documented within 24 h by specific biochemical or hematologic abnormalities), drug or alcohol intoxication and withdrawal, or exposure to well-defined epileptogenic drugs. DISCUSSION: Acute symptomatic seizures must be distinguished from unprovoked seizures and separately categorized for epidemiologic purposes. These recommendations are based upon the best available data at the time of this report. Systematic studies should be undertaken to better define the associations in question, with special reference to metabolic and toxic insults, for which the time window for the occurrence of an acute symptomatic seizure and the absolute values for toxic and metabolic dysfunction still require a clear identification.