title: Prevalence of adult epilepsy in Estonia.
abstract: Epidemiological data about epilepsy from central and eastern Europe is scarce and results are controversial. The aim of this study was to estimate the main prevalence-related characteristics of active epilepsy in an adult population in Estonia. Review of all databases and lists related to epilepsy in Tartu supplemented by re-examination of patients to identify all persons with active epilepsy aged >/=20 years on January 1, 1997. Special attention was paid to the extensive adoption of definitions and criteria proposed by ILAE guidelines for epidemiologic studies. Both, crude and age-adjusted (to the 1970 US population) prevalence rates were 5.3 per 1000. The age-specific rates were constant in age groups 30-69 years and declined in the oldest age groups. Of the seizure types, partial seizures had highest rates, over half were secondarily generalized seizures. The largest syndromic categories were localization-related symptomatic and cryptogenic epilepsies. Risk factors for epilepsy were identified in 39.6% cases. Some 22% of all subjects did not take antiepileptic medication. Prevalence of active epilepsy and other prevalence-related characteristics in the adult population of Tartu was comparable to those reported from the developed countries. The predominance of localization-related syndromes and partial seizures is due to the age distribution of the study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Tartu, 2 L. Puusepp St., 51014, Tartu, Estonia. andre.oun@klinikum.ee
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oun
authors.forename: Sulev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haldre
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mägi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants