[Disagreement about epilepsy and driving].
BACKGROUND
To find out how current regulations concerning epilepsy and driving licence are applied in clinical practice in Norway.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent to all 344 members of the Norwegian Neurological Association.


RESULTS
56% responded within 3 months, most of them (152) working in the field of clinical neurology. The majority (73%) did not see reporting a "situation-related" seizure to the authorities as obligatory, but almost all of these respondents (94%) would temporarily disallow driving. 60% did not consider it obligatory to report the exclusive occurrence of simple partial seizures with retained consciousness and motor control. A surprisingly large number (36%) would never recommend dispensation from the rule instituting a one-year driving ban. 39% generally used EEG in the assessment of driving fitness, whereas 17 % rarely did so. Only 50% instructed their patients not to drive during antiepileptic drug withdrawal. 45% did not consider seizure recurrence resulting from consented withdrawal to activate the obligation to report.


CONCLUSIONS
There is poor consensus among neurologists on many aspects of driving and epilepsy, particularly on the assessment of risk when drugs are withdrawn. These issues should be focused on in graduate and postgraduate education in clinical neurology.
Brodtkorb
Eylert
E
Avdeling for nevrologi og klinisk nevrofysiologi, St. Olavs Hospital, 7006 Trondheim. eylert.brodtkorb@medisin.ntnu.no
Bråthen
Geir
G
Bovim
Gunnar
G
Helde
Grethe
G
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000927:Anticonvulsants