Epidemiology

Epidemiologic data for various forms of epilepsy can be quite difficult to ascertain due to variability in epilepsy classification and the age range of the population studied. It has been estimated, based on prior epidemiologic studies, that 4000 children (younger than 18 years) are diagnosed with absence epilepsy and 1500 children with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) annually in the US.[9]

Subsequent studies based on the newer classification of epilepsy syndromes find the following:

Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE):[2][10][11][12][13][14]

  • Incidence reported varies from of 0.7 to 8 per 100,000 in the general population

  • Prevalence of 0.1 to 0.7 per 1000 persons

  • Age: the highest prevalence is in patients aged 2 to 9 years

  • Sex: in general the male-to-female ratio for CAE averages 1:2 to 1:5.

Juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE):[2][12]

  • Fewer data on JAE are available

  • Estimated prevalence of 0.1 per 100,000 persons in the general population

  • Age: onset averages at 10 to 17 years.

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME):[10][12][15][16][17][18]

  • Incidence is approximately 1 per 100,000

  • Prevalence ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 per 1000

  • Age: onset peaks between ages 12 to 18 years

  • Sex: a female predominance in JME has been reported

  • JME appears to be less frequent in developing countries.

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome:[8][19][20]

  • Incidence in children younger than 15 years has been estimated at 1.93 per 100,000

  • Lifetime prevalence at age 10 years has been estimated at 0.26 per 1000

  • Sex: a slightly higher frequency in males over females has been reported.

Epilepsy with myoclonic absences:[8][21]

  • Minimal data are available on the incidence

  • Epilepsy with absences accounted for 0.5% to 1% of all epilepsies observed at Centre Saint-Paul in Marseille, France, with a 70% male preponderance

  • Incidence of epilepsy with myoclonic absences was reported to be 2.6% in a selected population of children (ages <15 years) with newly diagnosed epilepsy in Navarre, Spain.

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