title: Changing name of epilepsy in Korea; cerebroelectric disorder (noi-jeon-jeung,뇌전증,): my epilepsy story.
abstract: Public misconception of epilepsy may lead to significant stigma to the disease itself, thereby causing impaired quality of life in people with epilepsy. Traditionally, epilepsy has been considered to be the consequence of evanescent spiritual forces, and even demonic possession (in many countries). The names of epilepsy in some East Asian countries originated from China, and include madness in their meaning. We recently changed the Korean name of epilepsy, gan-jil (간질, : a crazy, convulsive disease having meaning similar to ), to a neutral and scientifically explainable name: noi-jeon-jeung (뇌전증; ; cerebroelectric disorder). We expect that changing the stigmatized name of epilepsy to a neutral and scientific term with the meaning of cerebroelectric disorder will reduce the social stigma by understanding of epilepsy as one of the neurologic disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Heung Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hoon-Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sang Ahm
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Byung-In
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D057545:Social Stigma; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: Cerebroelectric disorder; Renaming