Somatic comorbidity of epilepsy in the general population in Canada.

Purpose: There is a notion that people with epilepsy have substantial and often unrecognized comorbidity of chronic conditions. However, most studies focus on selected patient groups; population-based studies are scarce. We compared the prevalence of chronic somatic conditions in people with epilepsy with that in the general population using Canadian, nationwide, population-based health data.

National and regional prevalence of self-reported epilepsy in Canada.

Purpose: To assess the point prevalence of self-described epilepsy in the general population nationally, provincially, and in different groups of interest.

Methods: We analyzed data from two national health surveys, the National Population Health Survey (NPHS, N=49,000) and the Community Health Survey (CHS, N=130,882). Both surveys captured sociodemographic information, as well as age, sex, education, ethnicity, household income, and labor force status of participants.

Comparative responsiveness of generic and specific quality-of-life instruments.

We assessed the relative responsiveness of generic and specific quality of life instruments in 43 randomized controlled trials that compared head-to-head 31 generic and 84 specific instruments. Using weighted effect size as the metric of responsiveness, we assessed the impact of instrument type, disease category, and magnitude of underlying therapeutic effect on responsiveness, and assessed the responsiveness of specific instruments relative to the corresponding domains of generic measures. In studies with a nonzero therapeutic effect, specific instruments (mean = 0.

An epilepsy questionnaire study of knowledge and attitudes in Canadian college students.

Purpose: Controversy exists about the relation of societal knowledge and attitudes regarding epilepsy. We conducted a survey to examine knowledge and attitudes, to note gender and occupational influences, and to examine the effect of an informational brochure.

Methods: We administered a standardized questionnaire that noted demographics and examined knowledge and attitudes regarding epilepsy and persons with epilepsy, respectively, to a wide variety of Canadian college students.