Perfil epidemiológico descritivo de pessoas com epilepsia em uma clínica de referência no Estado do Pará

Abstract

Epilepsy is classified in two ways, according to its etiology and according to the region where the exacerbated discharges begin. The pathophysiology of epilepsy involves structural or functional brain alterations that unbalance the electrical activity of the cortex. Understanding the cause of epilepsy is still heavily debated, but there are well-accepted theories and explanations, such as medial temporal lobe epilepsy that affects the hippocampus. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects approximately 50 million people worldwide and can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. Epidemiology is essential for understanding the prevalence of epilepsy and the risk factors associated with its occurrence. It is crucial to educate the public about epilepsy to improve patients' quality of life and reduce the social stigma associated with the disease. The results showed that most patients were male and between the ages of 11 and 20. The most common type of epilepsy was focal epilepsy, and the most common comorbidity was morphological abnormalities. The study also found significant associations between certain demographic and clinical factors and the type of epilepsy. The results demonstrated that focal epilepsy was the most common, affecting mainly men, and that there is a higher prevalence of the disease in the age range up to 20 years. The morphofunctional characteristics of the female and male brain seem to lead to specific types of epilepsy. The lack of information in medical records has an impact on the quality of care and assistance provided by the medical team, as well as on health research and epidemiological studies. Epidemiological studies reveal a previously unknown panorama, leading to an impact on public health and a change in reality for those most affected, the person with the pathology. The present study had several difficulties in its implementation, ranging from bureaucratic processes, through significant printed medical records, to the reality of homogenously, compromised and humanized evaluations. Finally, more studies are needed to clarify the epidemiological data on epilepsy in the northern region of the country. Standardization of medical records is also recommended.