What is status epilepticus and what do we know about its epidemiology?

Publication date: Available online 9 November 2019Source: SeizureAuthor(s): Simon Shorvon, Arjune SenABSTRACTEpidemiological studies across medical conditions share many similar difficulties relating, for instance, to selection bias, defining a population frame, statistical power and adequate documentation. However, in the case of status epilepticus there are, in addition to these, a variety of specific issues that pose significant hurdles to accurate investigation – not least defining status epilepticus itself and determining whether it is simply a severe manifestation of epilepsy or should be considered a distinct entity in its own right.In this paper, we present a historical overview of how views about status epilepticus have changed with time, outline some of the issues unique to the study of status epilepticus and provide personal perspectives on certain controversies within this important area of epileptology. We review salient population based studies, exploring their advantages and limitations. While it can be difficult to extrapolate conclusions, it does seem that status epilepticus is more common in African-Americans, males and in either young children or older adults. Given demographic changes resulting in an ageing population, the incidence of status epilepticus is therefore likely to rise. We illustrate how the majority of work performed to date has been in convulsive status epilepticus and demonstrate that more needs to be done to better understand non-convuls...
Source: Seizure - Category: Neurology Source Type: research