PREVALENCE
المؤلف:
DEBRA FEARNS
المصدر:
Caring for People with Learning Disabilities
الجزء والصفحة:
P95-C6
2025-10-14
230
PREVALENCE
One single seizure does not constitute epilepsy. The term ‘epilepsy’ may be properly used if an adult has a tendency to experience repeated seizures due to an intrinsic disturbance of neuronal functions within the brain. However, it must be noted that epilepsy is not a single condition, and it will affect people in different ways. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, affecting people of all ages. At least one in 20 people will have one seizure during their lifetime:
‘At any one time between 1 in 140 and 1 in 200 people in the UK (at least 300,000 people) are being treated for epilepsy. In an average PCT (Primary Care Trust) of 150,000 people, between 75 and 120 will develop epilepsy each year.’
(Clinical Effectiveness Group 2003)
Nonetheless, epilepsy rates and prevalence are much higher amongst adults with learning disabilities. The Department of Health (2001) point out, for example, that the prevalence of epilepsy in adults who have a mild learning disability is 10 times greater than in the general population, i.e. 5 per cent. Having a learning disability does not cause epilepsy, nor does having epilepsy cause learning disabilities. However, both epilepsy and learning disabilities may be due to fundamental brain damage existing from birth or as a result of infection or head injury, hence explaining this higher incidence. Stokes et al. (2004) indicate that a general practitioner (GP) with 2000 patients will typically have 36 patients who have learning disabilities, and six of those will have severe learning disabilities. McVicker et al. (1994) believe that adults with Down’s syndrome have a higher rate of epilepsy as they age, with 46 per cent aged over 50 having epilepsy. These figures are broadly replicated by the Department of Health (2001):
‘The rate of “active” epilepsy for people with mild or moderate learning disabilities is 5% compared to a normal rate of 0.5% in the general population. We may expect to find 30% of people with severe learning disabilities at risk of developing epilepsy, rising to 50% amongst those with profound learning disabilities. The condition originates in childhood for the majority. For people with Down’s syndrome the onset of seizures in middle age may be associated with the onset of dementia.’
(Department of Health 2001, p. 101)
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