Citation

Cavanna AE, Cavanna S, Cavanna A. Epilepsy Behav. 2010; 19(1): 89-91.

Affiliation

Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK; University of Birmingham Medical School, Birmingham, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.07.002

PMID

20724222

Abstract

Epileptic seizures have historically been associated with religious beliefs in spirit possession. These attitudes and misconceptions about epilepsy still flourish in developing countries as byproducts of specific sociocultural environments. This article presents a case series of four Haitian patients with epilepsy whose seizures were initially attributed to Voodoo spirit possession. All patients reported ictal experiential phenomena (epigastric aura, ictal fear, depersonalization, and derealization symptoms) followed by complete loss of consciousness. Electroclinical investigations revealed a temporal lobe focus. We review the existing literature on attitudes toward seizures within the Haitian culture and discuss the link between religion and epilepsy, highlighting the possible detrimental influence of specific traditional belief systems on the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of patients with epilepsy.

Language: en