Abstrakt

Knowledge and awareness of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy-A survey.

Lakshmi Narayanan*, Sreekala Priyadharsini

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), otherwise known as Janz syndrome and impulsive petit mal, is an idiopathic, hereditary, and generalized form of epilepsy. Characterized by myoclonic jerks of the arms or legs, generalised tonic clonic seizures and sometimes, absence seizures. The seizures of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy often occur when people first awaken in the morning. Seizures can be triggered by lack of sleep, extreme fatigue, stress, or alcohol consumption. Onset typically occurs around adolescence in otherwise healthy children. The causes of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy are very complex and not completely understood. Aim: To assess the knowledge and awareness of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy among the general public. Materials and methods: A survey based questionnaire was prepared through google forms and circulated via Whatsapp. A total response of 100 was collected and the results were analysed using SPSS statistical software. Results: Based on the survey, it is inferred that around 59% of the general public were aware of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Conclusion: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a common idiopathic generalized epileptic syndrome that occurs in about 5-11% of all the epileptic subjects. Hence it is important to have a knowledge about juvenile myoclonic epilepsy among the general public