title: Awareness of neurocysticercosis: A study from northwest India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a common cause of epilepsy in developing countries. In order to plan and implement prevention programs, it is essential to study the awareness of NCC.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the awareness of NCC among patients with NCC and compare with age- and gender-matched controls without NCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital based case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and fourteen subjects were studied (109 NCC patients, and 105 age- and gender-matched controls without NCC). The participants were selected from neurology and medical wards of a tertiary referral hospital in northwest India. They were interviewed by trained medical interns using a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  64.2% of the NCC patients and 19% of control group had heard about NCC (P < 0.001). Knowledge regarding organ affected by NCC in the NCC group was 61.4% and in the control group was 80% (P = 0.09). Only 12.9% of the NCC group and none in the control group identified tape worm as a causative agent for NCC (P = 0.092). Negative effects of NCC on marriage and social life were more often cited by the NCC group but in the control group it was towards education (P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The awareness of NCC was poor in both the groups. Educational programs are needed to improve the awareness about NCC among the patients and the public.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Mohit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girotra
authors.forename: Chanchal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gera
authors.forename: Rtika Ryfka
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Rajat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gauba
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Parmdeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Yashpal
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Jeyaraj D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Pandian