Table 3. Characteristics of persons with epilepsy.
| Essougli | Nachtigal | Ndjame | Ndowe | P-value | N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 20 | N = 23 | N = 20 | N = 4 | |||
| Age in years: Median (IQR) | 29.5 (25.8 – 35.2) | 31.0 (24.0 – 33.5) | 38.5 (31.5 – 45.2) | 28.5 (24.5 – 31.5) | 0.055 | 67 |
| Gender: n (%) | 0.864 | 67 | ||||
| Female | 11 (55.0%) | 15 (65.2%) | 12 (60.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | ||
| Male | 9 (45.0%) | 8 (34.8%) | 8 (40.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | ||
| Education level: n (%) | 0.738 | 66 | ||||
| None | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (5.0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Primary | 18 (90.0%) | 19 (86.4%) | 16 (80.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | ||
| Secondary | 2 (10.0%) | 3 (13.6%) | 3 (15.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | ||
| Specific diagnosis: n (%) | 0.325 | 67 | ||||
| Nodding Seizures | 2 (10.0%) | 5 (21.7%) | 5 (25.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | ||
| Other forms of epilepsy | 18 (90.0%) | 18 (78.3%) | 15 (75.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | ||
| History of nodding seizures: n (%) | 0.429 | 67 | ||||
| In the past | 1 (5.0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (10.0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Ongoing | 1 (5.0%) | 5 (21.7%) | 3 (15.0%) | 1 (25.0%) | ||
| Never | 18 (90.0%) | 18 (78.3%) | 15 (75.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | ||
| Age at seizure onset: Median (IQR) | 12.5 (8.8 – 15.0) | 10.0 (8.0 – 14.5) | 13.5 (10.0 – 16.2) | 13.0 (10.5 – 14.0) | 0.494 | 67 |
| Seizure frequency per month: Median (IQR) | 0.30 (0.00 – 2.00) | 2.00 (0.30 – 4.00) | 2.00 (1.00 – 4.3) | 0.00b (0.00 – 0.00) | 0.002 | 67 |
| Seizure during the past week: n (%) | 5 (25.0%) | 20 (43.5%) | 11 (57.9%) | 0 (0%) | 0.437 | 65 |
| Family history of epilepsya: n (%) | 15 (75.0%) | 17 (73.9%) | 11 (55.0%) | 4 (100%) | 0.296 | 67 |
| Burn scars: n (%) | 5 (41.7%) | 6 (30.0%) | 2 (15.4%) | 0 (0%) | 0.426 | 47 |
| Traumatic wound scars: n (%) | 7 (58.3%) | 10 (50.0%) | 5 (38.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0.517 | 47 |
| Leopard skin: n (%) | 4 (33.3%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.69%) | 0 (0%) | 0.020 | 47 |
| Anti-seizure treatment: n (%) | 0.951 | 67 | ||||
| Anti-seizure medications (ASM) | 15 (75.0%) | 17 (73.9%) | 17 (85.0%) | 4 (100%) | ||
| Traditional treatment only | 0(0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| ASM and traditional treatment | 1 (5.0%) | 2 (8.7%) | 1 (5.0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| None | 4 (20.0%) | 4 (17.4%) | 2 (10.0%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| ASM compliance: n (%) | 0.209 | 62 | ||||
| Regular | 11 (55.0%) | 12 (63.2%) | 8 (42.1%) | 4 (100%) | ||
| Irregular | 6 (30.0%) | 7 (36.8%) | 10 (52.6%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Never | 3 (15.0%) | 0 (0.00%) | 1 (5.26%) | 0 (0%) | ||
| Ever taken ivermectin: n (%) | 13 (65.0%) | 15 (65.2%) | 15 (83.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0.019 | 65 |
| Ivermectin use before seizure onset: n (%) | 3 (15.8%) | 5 (21.7%) | 2 (14.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0.876 | 60 |
| Fulfil OAE criteria: n (%) | 15 (75.0%) | 20 (87.0%) | 16 (80.0%) | 3 (75.0%) | 0.685 | 67 |
IQR: Interquartile range; ASM: Anti-seizure medications; N: Number of participants included in the analysis for the variable being described;
a
Family history of epilepsy defined as the occurrence of epilepsy in a first-degree relative.
b
All four PWE in Ndowe had <1 seizure per year, as they all took anti-seizure medications daily.