Epidemiology of epilepsy in Guaymi Indians from Bocas del Toro Province, Republic of Panama.
This cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the epidemiology of epilepsy in Guaymi Indians residing in Changuinola, a small town on Panama's Caribbean coast near Costa Rica. We randomly selected households and attempted to enroll all residents aged less than or equal to 1 year; 337 eligible subjects agreed to participate (93% response rate). We administered a standard neurologic disease screening examination to all subjects and, if any abnormality was found, we administered a standard neurologic evaluation. We detected 19 cases of active epilepsy; the mean age at onset was 12 years, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures were the most common diagnosis (10 of 19, 53%). The prevalence of active epilepsy among Caribbean coastal Guaymi (57/1000) is considerably greater than that in lower class Panama City populations (22/1000) or in other parts of the world. To identify risk factors for epilepsy, we collected epidemiologic data and serum (for Cysticercus antibody) from subjects with active epilepsy and from 44 age/sex-matched controls. Significantly more cases (47%) than controls (6%) had other family members with epilepsy (relative risk, RR = 14); 44% of cases and 13% of controls reported a history of febrile seizures during childhood (RR = 6).
Gracia
F
F
Neurology Service, Santo Tomas Hospital, Panama.
de Lao
S L
SL
Castillo
L
L
Larreategui
M
M
Archbold
C
C
Brenes
M M
MM
Reeves
W C
WC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D007197:Indians, Central American; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010176:Panama / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology