The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on January 30, 2006
The European Journal of Public Health 2006 16(5):484-486; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckl011
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Miscellaneous |
Epilepsy among the homeless: prevalence and characteristics
Anne Laporte1, Anny Rouvel-Tallec2, Etienne Grosdidier3, Sandrine Carpentier1, Chantal Benoît4, Daniel Gérard5 and Xavier Emmanuelli3
1 Observatoire du samusocial de Paris, France
2 Department of neurology, Hospital Delafontaine, Saint-Denis, France
3 Samusocial de Paris, France
4 Department of neurology, Hospital Max Fourestier, Nanterre, France
5 Sanofi-Aventis, France
Correspondence: Dr Anne Laporte, Observatoire du Samusocial de Paris, 35 Avenue Courteline, 75012 Paris, France, tel: +33 1 43 71 13 24, e-mail: a.laporte{at}samusocial-75.fr
Homelessness is associated with several risk factors for epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is a stigmatizing condition, which can lead to problematic social adjustment and competence. We found a markedly higher prevalence of seizures among the homeless than that estimated in the general population, with a large majority of non-alcoholic etiology. Unexpected proportion of subject taking treatment and compliance rate call for reflection on the optimal management of epilepsy in this population.
Keywords: alcohol, compliance, epilepsy, homelessness, prevalence, seizure