SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION OF SEIZURE PRECIPITANTS - RESULTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

We evaluated self-perception of seizure precipitants in 149 adult subj ects with epilepsy: 71% of the subjects reported at least one factor t hat, according to the perception, increased the risk of suffering from a seizure. The subjects most often reported psychological stress, cha nge of weather and sleep deprivation. Among the disease-related factor s, seizure frequency and the state of consciousness at the onset of th e seizures influenced perception of precipitants. Furthermore the perc eption of some precipitants was dependent on such social variables as rural versus urban surroundings. It is argued that the perception of s eizure precipitants is the result of a combination of physiologically based temporal and causal correlations and of beliefs of the patient a bout such relationships. Hence reports of seizure precipitants are det ermined by somatic as well as psychological factors. Efforts to clarif y the relationship between possible precipitants and the occurrence of seizures should be intensified. In addition the great importance of s eizure precipitants in lay theories of epilepsies should be considered in counselling patients with epilepsies.