title: A historical perspective on the mortality associated with chronic epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the secular trend in the mortality associated with chronic epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, UK, a residential centre for people with epilepsy, we determined the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in the Chalfont population for each 5-year epoch from 1896 to 1965.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SMR was found to be between 2 and 3 for most 5 year epochs from 1896 to 1965.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in the average age and disability of the residents at the Chalfont Centre confound a definite conclusion, but the evidence suggests the possibility that an excess mortality has been associated with chronic epilepsy for 100 years despite major changes in treatment.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Research Group, Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sander
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000266:history / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D016019:Survival Analysis