[Research] Patients with Epilepsy are at Higher Risk to be Assaulted

[Endless]

The part of the following article that I really enjoyed is the fact that research has now shown that epilepsy patients are no more likely to commit suicide or crash their car than people without epilepsy. Unfortunately, it does look like we are more likely to be assaulted.


Patients with Epilepsy are at Higher Risk to be Assaulted

In the March 1, 2011 edition of Neurology (Neurology 76(9)801-806 2011) Drs. Kwon and colleagues from the Division of Neurology, Foothills Medical Center in Calgary, Alberta, report a fascinating population based study addressing some of the psychosocial consequences of epilepsy. The authors studied individuals with and without epilepsy using an administrative database in a Canadian health region with a population of 1.4 million people. They identified individuals who had a diagnosis of epilepsy based on physician claims, hospitalization or an emergency room visit. Four subjects without epilepsy were matched to one patient with epilepsy by age and sex and then a comparison was made for the incidence of motor vehicle accidents, attempted or completed suicide and/or inflicted injuries.

Of 10,240 individuals with epilepsy and 40,960 individuals without epilepsy, the investigators found that there was not a higher risk or either attempted or completed suicides, motor vehicle accidents in patients with epilepsy. However, they did find an increased risk of individuals with epilepsy for having injuries inflicted by others by assaults. The rationale as to why this is the case is unknown, but it does highlight a particularly troubling aspect of this condition that has not been reported in the past. For further information, the reader is referred to the March 1, 2011 issue of Neurology for the publication of the entire study.

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/new.../mar11_assault


If you want to read the entire text it can be found here. Unfortunately you need to be a subscriber to the journal Neurology, but I've found my city library has an online subscription.

[Nakamova]

My friends are always surprised when I tell them that people with epilepsy don't get into any more car accidents than anyone else. They just naturally assume that we are out there every day playing bumper cars.

[elizzza811]

Hmmm?...I was grabbed walking home from school when I was 12 or 13, just a half a block from my house. Back then though they never showed it on the news or tried to find the guy.

I remember it was raining out, I had my umbrella up, and I'd worn heels and was clopping along behind what appeared to be a guy from high school (my clopping was even irritating me). When he got to the street I was about to turn onto, he turned around and started walking towards me, which I thought was weird since I'd been behind him for 3 blocks. Then as soon as he passed me he grabbed me from behind. I screamed, he ran, and that was it.

[Day]

Hmmm... interesting.

This seems to somewhat go along with the 'if you take anti-epileptic drug's, you can't lie' theory. Since I'm usually more inclined to tell the truth, I seem to expect the same from others. I've noticed that since I tend to be more trusting, I tend to have more of a trusting, innocent look. It stands to reason that many people would try to take advantage of that.

Fortunately, I've also perfected my 'intimidating' look.

[C0urt]

I have had a cell phone stolen, and they spent a few days calling my girl friend, and the only reason I was in the situation was because I could not drive and passed out on the public rail system, and I had two guys try to mug me, but I was awake for that one, and they did not realize I was feeling suicidal due to the meds, and enjoy personal violence anyway. (I worked as at club bouncer at the time.) So ended up all but mugging them. I do love when people have that "I just made a poor choice" look. But i was only out because I could not drive and in a strange place.

[jgeekie]

Makes pefect sense to me. Look at the increased anger as a side effect of many anti-epileptic drugs, and tell me that doesn't make it more likely that one will get into a fight.

Jay

[acpollard2010]

it happen to me 6 months ago but the hillbilly town i live in charged both of us was in public and tried to get me for resisting cause idiots dont know what a seizure is lets just say that was dropped.llok back even though on keppra we all should control ourselves even if somebody is makin fun of our e