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Relevance More than 70 million people suffer epilepsy worldwide. Low availability of anti-epileptic drugs, side-effects and drug-resistant epilepsy affect the quality of life of persons with epilepsy in countries with a poorly developed health system. Herbal medicine is frequently used for this neurological condition. Objectives The main objective was to provide a detailed analysis of Herbal Medicine used for neurological conditions related with epilepsy in Asia, Africa and Latin America. More broadly, this study aims to highlight species with assessed efficacy (cross-cultural use, pharmacological effects on models of epileptic seizures) and safety (toxicological data in laboratory) information, in order to point out species of interest for further studies. A critical assessment of models used in pharmacological evaluations was done. Materials and methods The systematic search for Herbal Medicine treatments for epilepsy was performed considering all the articles published until February 2017 through three scientific databases. It was made with MeSH terms and free text defining the epilepsy seizures and plant species. We included studies carried out in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All articles reporting the use of Herbal Medicine to treat epilepsy seizures and/or their pharmacological evaluation were retained for further analysis. Results The search yielded 1886 articles, from 30 countries. Hundred and six articles published between 1982 and 2017 were included, corresponding to a total of 497 use reports for 351 plant species belonging to 106 families. Three hundred and seventy seven use reports corresponding to 264 species in ethnopharmacological surveys and 120 evaluation reports corresponding to 107 species were noted. Twenty-nine reports, for 29 species, combined both ethnopharmacological and pharmacological evaluation. Fifty eight studies originated from Africa, 35 studies from Asia and 18 from Latin America. Highest use report was noted for rhizomes of Acorus calamus L. (12 use report in 1 country) and leaves of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. (8 use report in 2 countries). Therefore these species display the highest use convergence. Regarding pharmacological evaluation most studied species were: Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br. (4 evaluation reports in 1 country), Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil. (3 evaluation reports in 2 countries) and Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand. (3 evaluation reports in 1 country). In vivo models of chronic epilepsy were more relevant than in vitro models or chemical models inducing acute seizures for pharmacological assessment. Conclusion Species with the highest use report were not those with pharmacological evaluation. It will be pertinent to assess the pharmacological effects and safety of medicinal plants used mostly by traditional healers on predictive models of seizures.

Systematic reviews were conducted on the existence of screening tools for epilepsy, quality of life or comorbidities tools, but not specifically in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the different tools developed and validated in low- and middle-income countries for the investigation of epilepsy. This to facilitate research in these regions and to identify needs in areas where few instruments are available.This review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, MedLine, Google Scholar, Web of Science, SciELO, Neurology Asia, African Journal of Neurological Sciences and Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology bibliographic databases were investigated. Articles were included according to the following criteria: (1) to be validation studies on tool for investigating epilepsy, (2) to be conducted in a low- or middle-income country, (3) to be published between 1980 and 2021, and (4) to be written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. The characteristics of the tools and validation methods were collected. The frequency of use of the tools was estimated.Ninety-three articles were retained, corresponding to 91 tools from 44 countries. The main tools targeted quality of life (n = 30), comorbidities (n = 19) and screening (n = 13). Instruments were mainly developed and validated in Asia (n = 43), then in Central and South America (n = 24). The IENT (Institute of Epidemiology and Tropical Neurology) questionnaire was developed in several tropical countries (Africa, South East Asia and Latin America). The development and validation methods were heterogeneous from one tool to another and some tools (e.g., QOLIE-31, NDDI-E, PATE, etc.) were culturally adapted.This review identifies geographic specificity regarding the creation, validation and use of tools for investigating epilepsy available in low- and middle-income countries. It will help investigators in the choice of tools in their future epidemiological studies on epilepsy in this context.

International audience; IntroductionLes données épidémiologiques sur les troubles psychiques, les troubles neurocognitifs et l’épilepsie mettent en évidence des maladies ubiquitaires, présentes dans toutes cultures et latitudes, avec des prévalences élevées, notamment dans les pays en développement.ObjectifsL’objectif principal était d’évaluer les connaissances, attitudes et pratiques (CAP) concernant les troubles psychiques, les troubles neurocognitifs et l’épilepsie auprès de futurs médecins, pharmaciens et infirmiers dans plusieurs pays à faible et moyen revenus.Patients et méthodesIl s’agit d’une étude descriptive transversale multicentrique en cours de réalisation dans 12 pays. Nous avons utilisé l’initiative STROBE pour développer la méthodologie d’étude. Le recrutement est exhaustif pour les étudiants qui répondent aux critères d’inclusion. Les investigateurs collectent les réponses auprès des étudiants par le biais d’un auto questionnaire lié à un système de gestion de base de données relationnelle et réalisent une conférence apportant des éléments sur le contexte de la recherche épidémiologique.RésultatsL’étude pilote menée au Gabon a inclus 75 étudiants (45 étudiants en médecine, 2 étudiants en pharmacie et 28 étudiants en soins infirmiers). Un score moyen de 15,37 ± 1,69 points sur 20 points a été retrouvé. Le score de connaissances était plus faible que le score d’attitudes et pratiques (p < 0,001). Les questions avec un pourcentage faible de bonnes réponses portaient sur la définition, le diagnostic des maladies ainsi que les effets indésirables des traitements.DiscussionLe niveau de connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des étudiants en santé était correct au Gabon. Le taux faible de participation observé doit nous amener à porter une attention particulière à la méthodologie de recrutement des étudiants dans l’étude.ConclusionIl est nécessaire de poursuivre cette étude pour évaluer les CAP dans les autres pays.

Background Onchocerciasis is a serious problem in tropical areas. The role of the parasite as a factor associated with neurological diseases needs to be addressed because it might involve a reduction of the risk via elimination strategies. We performed a systematic scoping review to identify available studies on this association and put into perspective the different methodological approaches for interpreting the evidence. Methodology A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (Pubmed) through October 1, 2020. We included all the studies evaluating the association between onchocerciasis and four neurological diseases (epilepsy, nodding syndrome, Nakalanga syndrome, and encephalitis) in tropical countries. A descriptive and critical summary of the results was conducted to provide an overview of the findings. Results Overall, 161 articles were identified in the literature search. After full-length examination, we included twelve articles for epilepsy and three for nodding syndrome. Two meta-analyses of case-control studies found a modest strength of the association between O. volvulus and epilepsy. Recent meta-analyses and original studies support a significant association. Epidemiological studies suggest an association between onchocerciasis and nodding syndrome, however, the level of evidence from case-control studies was relatively low. No measure of association was reported for Nakalanga syndrome. There was no specific study on the association between O. volvulus and encephalitis. Conclusion The association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy seems increasingly likely. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the different clinical presentations of this epilepsy. Strong international collaboration is essential to improve our understanding of risk factors and physiopathological mechanisms of these intriguing conditions.