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Epilepsy

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Neurological Disorders in the Arab World

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Abstract

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disease associated with social stigma and significant economic costs. It is a one of the world’s most prevalent non-communicable diseases and affects all populations without racial or national boundaries. This chapter discusses epilepsy incidence and prevalence in the Arab World as well as clinical, social and psychological aspects of the disease. Data about incidence of epilepsy in Arab countries is limited and available only from Egypt and Qatar. The prevalence of epilepsy among Arabs varies between 2 and 13 per 1,000 persons. Prevalence of epilepsy is higher in males, children, young adults and the elderly. One study in Egypt observed a higher prevalence in rural areas. Generalised seizures are more common than partial seizures, matching the data from developing countries. Data about different aspects of epilepsy care are limited. Nevertheless, treatment coverage is inadequate, there is a problem of compliance, and epilepsy surgical programmes are lacking. A substantial number of studies on different psychosocial aspects of epilepsy demonstrate negative attitudes toward epilepsy, pervasiveness of stigma, and lack of knowledge about epilepsy even among epilepsy patients. There is evidence of widespread psychological problems among epileptic patients, who generally have a low quality of life. There are still widespread beliefs among Arabs that epilepsy is a psychological or mental illness caused by evil spirits or demons, or even a direct punishment from Allah. Many challenges have to be overcome to improve services and research related to epilepsy in the Arab world.

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  1. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK

    Hani T. S. Benamer FRCP, PhD

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Benamer, H.T.S. (2014). Epilepsy. In: Neurological Disorders in the Arab World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07257-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07257-9_5

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