Abstract
Background The prevalence and incidence rate of epilepsy were found to be higher in low- and middle-income countries. Uncontrolled epilepsy has a high risk of disability, stigma, discrimination, human rights violations, and premature death. The available studies of controlled seizure in Ethiopia have showed inconsistent results which calls for systematic review and meta-analysis. Therefore, this review intended to show the pooled prevalence of controlled seizure among people with epilepsy receiving antiepileptic drugs at outpatient department. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, PsycINFO, Hinnarri databases, and Google Scholar for grey literatures. Data were extracted with structured format prepared using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata/MP 16.0 software for analyses. The I2 test was used to check the heterogeneity between primary studies with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 23 primary studies were included in the review showing the pooled prevalence of controlled seizure to be 46% (95% CI: 35, 56). A subgroup analysis of the primary studies showed a considerable variation in magnitude of seizure freedom by study regions, age groups, and seizure-free period. The highest prevalence was found in Addis Ababa 52% (95% CI: 29, 75), pediatric patients 77% (95% CI: 71, 83), and a seizure-free period of less than six months 58% (95% CI: 32, 83). On the other hand, the lowest prevalence of controlled seizure was found in Tigray 27% (95% CI: 11, 65), adult patients 43% (95% CI: 32, 54), and a seizure-free period of six or more 41% (95% CI: 32, 51). Higher frequency of seizure before treatment (2.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.31) and medication nonadherence (2.7, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.15) had statistically significant association with uncontrolled seizure. Conclusion In this review, the prevalence of controlled seizure was found to be low. This warrants that clinicians should give more focus to epileptic patients regarding monitoring and evaluation of treatment outcome of epilepsy and factors that affect seizure control in routine clinical services. The use of standardized definition of controlled seizure, designing strategies to identify pharmacoresistant epilepsy and its treatment, and increasing medication adherence are recommended in Ethiopia. The review protocol has been registered with PROSPERO registration number CRD42021215302.
Highlights
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of consciousness [1]
Behavioural Neurology prevalence, and incidence rate of epilepsy were higher in low- to middle-income countries (LMIC) than highincome countries (HIC)
The present systematic review found that 46% of the epileptic patients experienced seizure freedom following treatment with antiepileptic drugs in Ethiopia
Summary
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of consciousness [1]. Behavioural Neurology prevalence, and incidence rate of epilepsy were higher in low- to middle-income countries (LMIC) than highincome countries (HIC). This difference can be explained by the difference in prevalence of risk factors, treatment gap, and methodological issues such as definition of cases [3]. The available studies of controlled seizure in Ethiopia have showed inconsistent results which calls for systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 23 primary studies were included in the review showing the pooled prevalence of controlled seizure to be 46% (95% CI: 35, 56). The review protocol has been registered with PROSPERO registration number CRD42021215302
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