title: Neurocysticercosis and its impact on crude prevalence rate of epilepsy in an Indian community.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-based studies of epilepsy in India have reported variable prevalence rates, 5-10/1000 population. Reasons for this wide variation in the prevalence rates are uncertain. Most of the earlier studies had not done appropriate investigations to establish the possible etiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and etiological profile of active epilepsy in the rural population of Uttarakhand.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this rural community-based study in the state of Uttarakhand, a door-to-door survey was conducted using validated questionnaire. All the suspected cases of epilepsy were examined by a neurologist to confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy and all the confirmed cases underwent contrast computed tomography (CT) scan and electroencephalography (EEG). Epilepsy and epilepsy syndromes were classified using the classifications proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 14,086 population studied, 141 cases of active epilepsy were detected giving a crude prevalence rate of 1%. After clinical evaluation and scanning, 35 (24.8%) were found to have seizure disorder active neurocysticercosis (NCC) and 14 (9.9%) had remote symptomatic seizures related to calcified granuloma. After excluding acute and remote symptomatic cases related to NCC, prevalence rate of epilepsy was 6.5/1000.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that the region-specific prevalence rates of epilepsy in India are partly dependent on the prevalence of NCC in the given community. To some extent, this may be responsible for variable rates of epilepsy prevalence reported from different regions of the country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Himalayan Institute, Doiwala, Dehradun, India. goeld007in@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dhanai
authors.forename: Alka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mehlotra
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saxena
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult