The epidemiology of epilepsy revisited

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Epidemiology is the study of the dynamics of a medical condition in a population. There are many shortcomings in the understanding of the epidemiology of epilepsy mostly caused by methodological problems. These include diagnostic accuracy, case ascertainment, and selection bias. In this article recent progress in this area is discussed and suggestions for future research are made. RECENT FINDINGS: It is generally accepted that in developed countries the incidence is around 50/100 000/year. In resource-poor countries, the incidence is likely to be higher. Prevalence of active epilepsy is in the range of 5-10/1000 in most locations, although it might be higher in some isolates. Age-specific…