Prevalence of self-reported epilepsy--United States, 1986-1990.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic condition characterized by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain manifested as two or more unprovoked seizures (1). Risk factors for epilepsy include vascular disease, head trauma, congenital or perinatal factors, central nervous system infections, and neoplasms; however, the etiology of epilepsy is unknown for approximately three fourths of cases (2). Epilepsy frequently causes impaired physical, psychological, and social functioning, which results in substantial disability, economic loss, and diminished quality of life (3). To examine the burden of epilepsy in the United States, the prevalence of self-reported epilepsy was estimated by using data from 1986 through 1990 from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (4). This report summarizes the results of this analysis.