"Penosissima, y rigorosa enfermedad" (Most Troublesome and rigorous disease): An analysis of the first medical-moral treatise on epilepsy in Latin America.

Introduction: The influence of the Enlightenment is evident with the mention of Herman Boerhave. The strong European influence draws attention with minimal expression of the social and medical concepts of pre-Colombian cultures such as the Aztec and Mayan.

Methods: A medical and cultural conceptual analysis of the text "Medical-moral report of the very painful, and rigorous disease of epilepsy" is carried out.

Perceptions and metaphors of patients about epileptic seizures and postictal state in Medellín-Colombia: A qualitative study.

Introduction: PWE describe epileptic seizures and the postictal state with the description of experienced symptoms or through metaphorical language. For treating physicians, this metaphoric language may go unnoticed. The purpose of the study is to identify both the real and metaphorical descriptions of epileptic seizures and postictal state referred by PWE from Medellín Colombia.

Psychological and social aspects of people with epilepsy expressed through drawing: Pilot study.

Introduction: Frequently, the psychological and social aspects of PWE go unnoticed in medical consultations. Even in spite of having seizure control, some people can experience a poor quality of life. The objective of the study was to determine if drawing facilitates the expression of the psychological and social difficulties of PWE.

Impact of the educational activities of the Renaser with Love Foundation in Medellín -Colombia.

Introduction: The Rebirth with Love Foundation from Medellín, Colombia has been active for four years. Several educative actions on epilepsy were carried out to promote a more inclusive society. The objective is to evaluate the impact of the activities carried out by the foundation.

Historical review of the cultural concepts around the denominations of epilepsy.

The characteristics of epileptic seizures, especially the fall, the scream, the loss of consciousness, the involuntary movements, and their recovery, confer conceptions of supernatural strangeness. A historical review is carried out on the denominations of epilepsy. Names such as "epilepsy" arise as "being overwhelmed by something"; the relationship with deities and demons; the influence of the stars; the struggle between good and evil in Christianity, or contact with the divine.

Saints, demons, and faith - A review of the historical interaction between Christianity and epilepsy.

The view that epilepsy is caused by demonic possession prevailed throughout the Middle Ages and re-emerges in rare cases of misguided exorcisms even in modern Western societies. This review reflects on the biblical sources of the demonic understanding of seizures and the subsequent marginalization of people with epilepsy. While the development of science led to a decline in beliefs of supernatural causes of seizures, the link between Christianity and epileptology is sustained through recurrent considerations of epileptic phenomena among religious figures.

Variants as the Underlying Cause of Genetic Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures Plus in Two Multi-Generational Colombian Families.

Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is an autosomal dominant disorder with febrile or afebrile seizures that exhibits phenotypic variability. Only a few variants in SCN1A have been previously characterized for GEFS+, in Latin American populations where studies on the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of GEFS+ are scarce. We evaluated members in two multi-generational Colombian Paisa families whose affected members present with classic GEFS+.

Update on first unprovoked seizure in children and adults: A narrative review.

Objective: First seizures are always challenging for physicians. Determining etiology, risk of recurrence, need for diagnostic electroencephalogram (EEG) or neuroimaging, balancing starting anti-seizure medication (ASM) versus its potential adverse effects, and addressing patient and family concerns about social or emotional impact in lifestyle issues is always demanding.

Method: a narrative review providing information from a database search between January 1970 to November 2020 was conducted, with the following search terms: first seizure, epidemiology, treatment, neuroimaging, electroencephalogram, impact, lifestyle.

Neurology specialists' visual interpretation of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Contemplating their etiology and existing challenges.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore how neurology specialists with interest in epilepsy depict psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and their experience of diagnosing and treating the disorder.

Methods: An art project was organized as part of the curriculum of the 14th Latin American Summer School on Epilepsy (LASSE) in São Paulo (Brazil) from February 27th to March 6th, 2020. Willing neurologists were invited to draw or paint PNES and present their professional perspective of this disorder.

Perceptions of adult and child neurologists of transition programs in epilepsy in Latin America: A cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to review the existence and opinion Latin American adult and child neurologists have about the development and function of transition programs in epilepsy.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was constructed with sociodemographic variables, knowledge about transition programs, barriers for building up transition programs, and 21 topics regarding the degree of involvement of healthcare providers and carers should have during the transition process.

The abbreviation "PWE" may carry a negative connotation compared with the labels "person with epilepsy" and "epileptic".

Purpose: Ways of labeling a person with epilepsy (PWE) may have an impact on public position towards affected persons. This study analyzed college students position changes, influenced by three different labels of PWE.

Methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study.

Painting epilepsy - The essence of disease by participants of the Latin American Summer School on Epilepsy (LASSE XIII).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present and analyze the way epilepsy researchers and specialists present epilepsy through visual art forms.

Methods: Students and epilepsy specialists, including clinicians and scientists, participating in the Latin American Summer School on Epilepsy (LASSE XIII) 2019 were asked to voluntarily portray epilepsy artistically by painting or drawing what they perceive that represents the feeling or challenges of persons with epilepsy. Resulting artwork was categorized according to several themes.

Does public attitude change by labeling a person as epileptic, person with epilepsy or the acronym PWE? A systematic review.

Purpose: It is still unknown if attitudinal differences by diverse labeling of persons with epilepsy could be universally accepted with the actual literature evidence. The manner in which questions are constructed could also have an impact in final results. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the published articles regarding changes in public´s attitude towards epilepsy by labeling a person as epileptic, person with epilepsy or with the acronym PWE.

Sleepwalking and Sleep Paralysis: Prevalence in Colombian Families With Genetic Generalized Epilepsy.

Background: Sleep deprivation commonly increases seizure frequency in patients with genetic generalized epilepsy, though it is unknown whether there is an increased prevalence of sleepwalking or sleep paralysis in genetic generalized epilepsy patients. Establishing this could provide insights into the bio-mechanisms or genetic architecture of both disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sleepwalking and sleep paralysis in a cohort of patients with genetic generalized epilepsy and their relatives in extended families.

How can transition to adult care be best orchestrated for adolescents with epilepsy?

Objective evidence is limited for the value of transition programs for youth with chronic illness moving from pediatric to adult care; however, such programs intuitively "make sense". We describe the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of transition programs from around the world for adolescents with epilepsy. Consequences of poorly organized transition beyond suboptimal seizure control may include an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), poor psychological and social outcome, and inadequate management of comorbidities.

Epilepsy, Physical Activity and Sports: A Narrative Review.

People with epilepsy (PWE) are less physically active compared with the general population. Explanations include prejudice, overprotection, unawareness, stigma, fear of seizure induction and lack of knowledge of health professionals. At present, there is no consensus on the role of exercise in epilepsy.

Epilepsy in the tropics: Emerging etiologies.

Epilepsy is considered by the World Health Organization a public health priority with more than 50 million human beings affected by the disease. More than 80% of persons with epilepsy live in low and middle income countries and most of them in tropical areas. Several emerging, re-emerging and neglected diseases are symptomatic etiologies that jointly contribute to the enormous global burden of epilepsy.

[Eugenics and Discrimination in Colombia: the Role of Medicine and Psychiatry in Immigration Policy at the Beginning of the 20th Century].

With the Theory of Evolution, eugenics had its beginnings during the last decades of the 19th century. Academics discussed the results obtained from their observations, and progressively had influence on the promulgation of laws and norms related to ethnic hygiene and improvement of race. Such principles were the fundamentals to order eugenic and discriminatory laws.