title: Validation of a short useful questionnaire in Spanish for the epidemiological screening of epilepsy in Spain. EPIBERIA Questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a major gap in knowledge about the epidemiology of epilepsy in Mediterranean countries. The EPIBERIA group was formed with the aim of promoting the conducting of epidemiological studies in this region in order to improve this situation. This paper deals with the validation of a brief questionnaire for screening patients with epilepsy in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected an English-language questionnaire previously validated by the Ottman group. It was translated, modified to suit the characteristics of the Spanish population, and administered to a sample of 200 patients (93 epileptics and 107 non-epileptic patient controls) sampled consecutively from 5 epilepsy units in different cities in Spain. Both groups were homogeneous in demographic variables and the control group was representative of the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 74.77% for the least rigorous correction model for the questionnaire, with a sensitivity of 94.62% and a specificity of 99.07% for the most stringent correction model. The PPV ranged from 7.48% for the first case to 69.49% in the second, assuming an epilepsy prevalence of 2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The questionnaire EPIBERIA is a valid Spanish tool for epilepsy screening in the general population in Spain.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neurología y Neurofisiología, Complejo Hospitalario Torrecárdenas, Almería, España. pedro.serrano.c@gmail.com
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Serrano-Castro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-Morales
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ramos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matías-Guiu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mauri-Llerda
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Alvarez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sancho-Rieger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants