Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital, International School of Public Health and One Health, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Brain Research and Transformation, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
Epilepsia Open. 2023 Mar;8(1):32-45. doi: 10.1002/epi4.12686. Epub 2023 Jan 1.
Epilepsy is one of the most common serious chronic neurological diseases affecting people of all ages globally. It is characterized by recurrent seizures. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy. Indubitably, people with epilepsy (PWE) may be without access to appropriate treatment. Many studies have examined the molecular mechanisms and clinical aspects of epilepsy; nonetheless, the treatment gap exists in some special areas. In the tropics, the specific geographical and ecological conditions and a lack of medical resources result in neglect or delay of diagnosis for PWE. Herein, we summarized the epidemiology of epilepsy in the tropics and discussed the disease burden and existing problems, aiming to offer a medical environment for patients in need and highlight the importance of reducing the epileptic disease burden in tropical countries.
癫痫是一种最常见的严重慢性神经系统疾病,影响全球各个年龄段的人群。其特征是反复发作。全球约有 5000 万人患有癫痫。不可否认的是,癫痫患者(PWE)可能无法获得适当的治疗。许多研究已经检查了癫痫的分子机制和临床方面;尽管如此,在一些特殊领域仍然存在治疗差距。在热带地区,特定的地理和生态条件以及缺乏医疗资源导致 PWE 的诊断被忽视或延迟。在这里,我们总结了热带地区癫痫的流行病学,并讨论了疾病负担和存在的问题,旨在为有需要的患者提供医疗环境,并强调减少热带国家癫痫疾病负担的重要性。