Impact of Self-visualization of Epileptic Seizures on Patients' Perception of the Disease and Risk Behavior

Overview

In Spain, an estimated 690,000 persons have epilepsy, of whom 270,000 have active epilepsy (defined as those who have had a seizure in the last 5 years). It is estimated that 30% of patients diagnosed with epilepsy are drug-resistant. Patients with loss of consciousness or impaired awareness during seizures are at higher risk of injury due to accidents. To prevent such injuries, it is important that patients are sufficiently knowledgeable about their disease to allow them to avoid risk behavior. In this project, we want to know if visualization of self seizures has an impact on the perception of the severity of the disease, as well as on the risky behavior habits.

Design: Quasi-experimental study with a control group. Intervention group: standard of care and self-visualization of epileptic seizures. Control group: standard of care. Main aims: To determine whether self-visualization of seizures in patients with epilepsy modifies risk perception compared with patients not viewing their own seizures. To determine whether viewing their seizures leads patients with epilepsy to plan changes in their risk behavior compared with patients not viewing their own seizures. Design: Quasi-experimental study with a control group. Intervention group: standard of care and self-visualization of epileptic seizures. Control group: standard of care. Sample size: Accepting an alpha risk of 0.05 and a beta risk lower than 0.2 on bilateral comparison, 50 participants will be needed in the intervention group and 25 in the control group to detect statistically significant differences between the proportion of patients showing behavioral change. It is expected that behavioral change will occur in 40% of the intervention group and 10% of the control group and that losses to follow-up will be 10%. Variables: Sociodemographic, risk perception, intention to change behavior, perception of disease severity, quality of life, mood/depression, personality traits, anxiety. Data collection: pre and post visualization of self seizures, and three months after discharge. A descriptive analysis will be performed, with percentages and frequencies for qualitative variables and mean ± standard deviation (or median \[range\] depending on the normality of the distribution) for quantitative variables. Inferential analysis will be conducted with the chi-square test or nonparametric tests depending on the behavior of the variables obtained. This project has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the hospital performing the study.