[Childhood epilepsy in Okayama Prefecture, Japan--a neuroepidemiological study].
Epidemiological surveys on epilepsy have been carried out repeatedly in Japan. However, at present, a population-based survey according to the International Classification for Epileptic Syndromes is considered to be especially important. We therefore carried out a population-based survey on children with epilepsy under thirteen years of age, who resided in Okayama Prefecture on December 31, 1999 as the prevalence day. The population of children in Okayama Prefecture under thirteen years of age on the prevalence day was 250,997. The lists of children with epilepsy were collected from the medical records of 45 hospitals, 36 clinics and 3 institutions in and around Okayama Prefecture. 1) 2,222 cases with active epilepsy were identified. The prevalence rate was 8.9 per 1,000. 2) This prevalence rate was almost equal to the previous result (8.2 per 1,000) given by another survey undertaken in 1975 for children under ten years of age in Okayama Prefecture. 3) If the cases with single seizure and/or the cases with seizures induced by fever are excluded, the prevalence rate decreased to 5.5 per 1,000. 4) 2,026 (91.2%) of the 2,222 cases were classified into three major categories of the International Classification of Epileptic Syndromes. They consisted of 1,557 cases (76.8%) with localization-related epilepsy, 449 cases (22.2%) with generalized epilepsy and 20 cases (1.0%) with undetermined epilepsy. 5) 303 (15.0%) of the 2,026 cases were classified into the epileptic syndromes. However, the majority of other cases consisted of nonspecific types of epilepsy, and could not be classified in detail. 6) The guideline for informed consent in epidemiological study published in 2000 by the Committee of the Japanese Ministry of Public Welfare will be useful for neuroepidemiological studies in the future.
Oka
Eiji
E
Department of Child Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama.
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007258:Informed Consent; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence