A new study conducted by the UCD Centre for Disability Studies identifies for the first time, accurate figures on the number of people with epilepsy in Ireland.
The Prevalence of Epilepsy in Ireland study, commissioned by Brainwave, the Irish Epilepsy Association , is the first national epilepsy prevalence study undertaken anywhere in Europe. The new research reveals that there are up to 37,000 people with epilepsy in Ireland and that this number may be increasing.
The study confirms that epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition presenting in Ireland today. The findings also revealed that about 67 patients a week are being discharged from acute hospitals in Ireland after being treated for epilepsy and rates of epilepsy are higher in the west than the east and higher among men than women.
Five separate sources of nationwide data were examined as part of the study: prescription drug data, self report data gathered from the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey, GP data, specialist care data and data from the Irish Hospital Inpatient Enquiry System.
According to Brainwave CEO, Mike Glynn, “The level of agreement observed across all five sources of data provides a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of epilepsy in Ireland and the findings are broadly reflective of data coming from international studies.
“Epilepsy has suffered historical neglect and lack of investment in Ireland. Now that we have data on the scale of the problem, it is imperative that we use it in planning current and future service needs to ensure appropriate treatment is offered to those who need it.”
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