ABSTRACT
For epidemiological studies to be comparable, the definition of epilepsy, and the sources from which the cases are identified, must be similar. International guidelines for epidemiological studies of epilepsy exist.1 Usually, only ‘active’ cases are included. These are characterized by:
• the occurrence of at least two seizures • seizures unprovoked by any immediate identified
cause and
• the last unprovoked seizure occurred during the previous 5 years.
