title: Prevalence of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy in the adult population of Bologna and Modena, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) in the adults of two areas of the Emilia-Romagna region (northeast Italy) and to describe the clinical features from a population-based perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based retrospective cohort study including adults with NFLE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two areas of the Emilia-Romagna region: the city of Bologna (330,901 adult residents) and five districts of the province of Modena (424,007). Prevalence day: December 31, 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with NFLE collected from multiple databases of neurologic hub centers of the districts involved. Diagnostic criteria: clinical history of sleep related bizarre motor attacks and videopolysomnographic recording confirming the typical features of NFLE. Inclusion criteria for prevalence calculation: residence in one of the two geographic areas on the prevalence day and an "active" or "in remission with treatment" form of NFLE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six subjects from Bologna and eight from Modena were included. Crude prevalence (per 100,000 residents) was 1.8 (95% confidence interval 0.7-4.0) in Bologna and 1.9 (0.8-3.7) in Modena. Similarly, the main clinical features were consistent: onset during adolescence (median age 11-13 y), mainly hyperkinetic seizures, nonlesional form in more than two-thirds of cases, an active form of epilepsy in more than two-thirds of cases. A family history of epilepsy was reported only for two patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This epidemiologic study establishes that NFLE is a rare epileptic condition, fulfilling the definition for rare disease. Because of methodological limitations of our case ascertainment, the estimates we disclose must be considered the minimum prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care, Local Health Trust, Bologna, Italy.|Health and Social Regional Agency, Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vignatelli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bisulli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, NOCSAE Hospital, Local Health Trust, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Licchetta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Naldi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mostacci
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.|Danish Epilepsy Center, Epilepsihospitalet, Dianalund, Denmark.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubboli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Provini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tinuper
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, NOCSAE Hospital, Local Health Trust, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meletti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017034:Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D035583:Rare Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: ADNFLE; etiology; nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy; prevalence