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Table 2 Characteristics of persons with epilepsy from four different studies

From: Characteristics of people with epilepsy in three Eastern African countries – a pooled analysis

  

Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

Tanzania (Haydom)

Malawi

Uganda

n

302

212

365

300

Loss of consciousness

 

300 (99.3)

210 (99.1)

359 (98.4)

287 (95.7)

Motor activity

tonic–clonic

211 (69.9)

178 (84.0)

311 (85.2)

213 (71.0)

tonic

31 (10.3)

25 (11.8)

21 (5.7)

58 (19.3)

clonic

12 (4.0)

9 (4.2)

25 (6.8)

15 (5.0)

myoclonic

0

0

0

5 (1.7)

eye rolling/teeth grinding only

19 (6.3)

0

3 (0.8)

9 (3.0)

no movements at all

29 (9.6)

0

5 (1.4)

0

Motor activity: side of body

bilateral

239 (79.9)

179 (84.4)

249 (75.9)

283 (94.3)

unilateral

31 (10.4)

33 (15.6)

74 (22.6)

17 (5.7)

none

29 (9.7)

0

5 (1.5)

0

Information missing

3

3

37

0

Other signs observed (froth from the mouth, urine/stool incontinence)

246 (81.5)

199 (93.9)

323 (88.5)

287 (95.7)

Injuries during seizures

 

56 (18.5)

86 (40.6)

204 (56.2)

150 (50.0)

face/head

22/46 (47.8)

29/82 (35.4)

83/177 (46.9)

94/149 (63.1)

thorax

1/46 (2.2)

3/82 (3.7)

49/177 (27.7)

7/149 (4.7)

limbs

16/46 (34.8)

58/82 (70.7)

45/177 (25.4)

81/149 (54.4)

Information missing

10

4

27

1

Treatment for injuries

 

34 (65.4)

NA

56 (27.5)

105 (70.5)

operation

3/31 (9.7)

NA

1/22 (4.5)

3/105 (2.9)

stitching

4/31 (12.9)

NA

0/22

0/105

dressing

27/31 (87.1)

NA

20/22 (90.9)

81/105 (77.1)

medication

4/31 (12.9)

NA

15/22 (68.2)

14/105 (13.3)

other

1/31 (3.2)

NA

0/22

7/105 (6.7)

information missing

3

NA

34

0

Reorientation after seizures

 

285 (95.0)

210 (99.5)

335 (91.8)

201 (67.0)

Age seizures started (years)

median (IQR)

15 (11–22)

15 (11–23)

10 (6–20)

14 (11–23)

younger than 21

222 (74.0)

152 (72.0)

237 (77.5)

218 (72.7)

older than 21

78 (26.0)

59 (28.0)

82 (22.5)

82 (27.3)

Frequency of seizures

daily to weekly

44 (14.9)

0

57 (17.5)

9 (4.1)

weekly to monthly

31 (10.5)

4 (1.9)

123 (37.7)

18 (8.2)

monthly to yearly

158 (53.6)

44 (21.0)

131 (40.2)

145 (66.2)

yearly or less often

62 (21.0)

162 (77.1)

15 (4.6)

47 (21.5)

Time since last seizure

 < 1 month

169 (56.5)

62 (29.5)

NA

10 (3.4)

1–3 months

82 (27.4)

41 (19.5)

NA

5 (1.7)

3–12 months

42 (14.0)

36 (17.1)

NA

20 (6.8)

1–2 years

3 (1.0)

27 (12.9)

NA

69 (23.6)

 > 2 years

3 (1.0)

44 (21.0)

NA

188 (64.4)

Occurence of seizures

anytime

208 (69.3)

42 (24.6)

115 (31.8)

163 (54.3)

daytime

54 (18.0)

25 (14.6)

119 (32.9)

77 (25.7)

evening/night

6 (2.0)

47 (27.5)

32 (8.8)

40 (13.3)

night while asleep

32 (10.7)

57 (33.3)

96 (26.5)

20 (6.7)

Precipitants before seizures

 

90 (30.2)

114 (53.8)

31 (8.5)

88 (29.3)

alcohol

0/89

15/114 (13.2)

5/31 (16.1)

0/88

fever

13/89 (14.6)

30/114 (26.3)

16/31 (51.6)

28/88 (31.8)

stress/emotional stimuli

14/89 (15.7)

18/114 (15.8)

2/31 (6.5)

32/88 (36.4)

lack of sleep

59/89 (66.3)

0/114

2/31 (6.5)

5/88 (5.7)

other

9/89 (10.1)

62/114 (54.4)

6/31 (19.4)

23/88 (26.1)

missing

1

0

0

0

History of febrile seizures

 

106 (35.7)

16 (7.6)

177 (48.4)

47 (15.7)

Past medical history

 

7 (2.3)

NA

37 (10.1)

33 (11.1)

metabolic/cardiovascular

3/7 (42.9)

NA

3/37 (8.1)

2/33 (6.1)

respiratory

1/7 (14.3)

NA

10/37 (27.0)

4/33 (12.1)

infectious

3/7 (42.9)

NA

19/37 (51.4)

23/33 (69.7)

other

0/7

NA

5/37 (13.5)

4/33 (12.1)

missing

0

NA

0

0

Hospital admission

 

97 (32.4)

145 (68.4)

139 (38.1)

118 (39.3)

Past psychiatric history

 

162 (53.6)

18 (8.5)

62 (17.0)

20 (6.7)

Type

psychosis

72/162 (44.4)

0/18

17/62 (27.4)

6/20 (30.0)

depression

13/162 (8.0)

0/18

2/62 (3.2)

7/20 (35.0)

behavioural problems

19/162 (11.7)

4/18 (22.2)

22/62 (35.5)

3/20 (15.0)

dementia

49/162 (30.2)

0/18

1/62 (1.6)

2/20 (10.0)

mental retardation

33/162 (20.4)

16/18 (88.9)

29/62 (46.8)

14/20 (70.0)

missing

0

0

0

0

Family history of epilepsy

 

101 (34.1)

57 (26.9)

107 (29.3)

88 (29.3)

Degree family member

first degree

47/100 (47.0)

39/57 (68.4)

43/101 (42.6)

11/86 (12.8)

second degree

53/100 (53.0)

18/57 (31.6)

58/101 (57.4)

75/86 (87.2)

missing

1

0

6

2

Mother not healthy during pregnancy

31 (12.0)

5 (2.4)

15 (4.1)

9 (3.0)

Schooling

 

275 (91.7)

143 (67.5)

273 (74.8)

192 (64.0)

Drop-out of school

 

55 (20.1)

59 (27.8)

162 (44.4)

118 (61.5)

Focal neurological signs on examination

 

23 (7.8)

NA

31 (8.5)

0

Diagnosis ILAE

generalised onset

240 (79.5)

149 (70.3)

288 (78.9)

277 (92.3)

focal onset

61 (20.2)

61 (28.8)

77 (21.1)

23 (7.7)

unclassified

1 (0.3)

2 (0.9)

0

0

Diagnosis Winkler et al.21

gen. seizures within a specific age range

175 (57.9)

119 (56.1)

109 (29.9)

127 (42.3)

gen. seizures outside specific age range

47 (15.6)

30 (14.2)

152 (41.6)

67 (22.3)

gen. seizures with diffuse brain damage

18 (6.0)

14 (6.6)

47 (12.9)

83 (27.7)

gen. seizures with focal signs

57 (18.9)

47 (22.2)

45 (12.3)

23 (7.7)

simple partial seizures

2 (0.7)

0

8 (2.2)

0

complex partial seizures

2 (0.7)

0

4 (1.1)

0

unclassified

1 (0.3)

2 (0.9)

0

0