Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Symposium 1

Building epilepsy care network in Japan

Taisuke Otsuki, M.D., Ph.D.

Epilepsy Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
Chief Researcher, Study on prevalence, medical care and treatment algorithm of epilepsy in Japan, Health Labor Sciences Research Grant from the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare of Japan

Number of epilepsy patient in Japan officially surveyed by our government in 2008 is 219,000, which is only 0.17% of the total population and less than one third of the prevalence rate reported in Western countries. Number of epilepsy surgery per year in Japan is also low and less than half of other countries such as US, UK and Korea. These numbers may suggest that epilepsy care in Japan is not sufficient to cover all hidden medical needs of people with epilepsy at present. To solve this issue, our research group funded by the government have started to build an epilepsy care network among primary care physicians, secondary care neurology specialists and tertiary care epilepsy centers by utilizing a web site: Epilepsy Care Network-Japan (http://www.ecn-japan.com/) from July 2012. We are also proposing an epilepsy care algorithm suitable for our complex medical community consisted with various neurology specialists such as pediatric and adult neurologists, neurosurgeons and psychiatrists. Building Epilepsy Care Network in Japan may facilitate better medical and social support for people with epilepsy in Japan.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (235K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 52: 1036|1038, 2012)
key words: epilepsy, epilepsy care network, care algorithm, primary care, epilepsy center

(Received: 23-May-12)