Challenges faced by people with epilepsy on ketogenic diet therapy and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
| Autor: | Débora Kurrle Rieger, Mariana dos Santos Lunardi, Felipe Matheus Uberna Giacomini, Júlia Dubois Moreira, Letícia Carina Ribeiro da Silva, Raquel Alencastro Veiga Domingues Carneiro, Katia Lin, Leticia Pereira Brito Sampaio |
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| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty medicine.medical_treatment Behavioral Neuroscience Epilepsy Pandemic Health care medicine Humans Social isolation Pandemics DASS SARS-CoV-2 business.industry COVID-19 medicine.disease Mental health Caregivers Neurology Family medicine Anxiety Neurology (clinical) medicine.symptom Diet Ketogenic business Brazil Ketogenic diet |
| Zdroj: | Epilepsy & Behavior. 122:108193 |
| ISSN: | 1525-5050 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108193 |
| Popis: | Background Although ketogenic diet therapy (KDT) is a well-established, nonpharmacologic therapeutic option for patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, its availability is still not widespread. The COVID-19 pandemic may have further restricted the access of people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy (PWE) to KDT. Thus, we evaluated the experiences of Brazilian PWE and their caregivers during the first year of the pandemic. Methods An online self-assessed survey containing 25 questions was distributed via social media to be answered by PWE treated with KDT or their caregivers through Google Forms from June 2020 to January 2021. Mental health was assessed using the DASS and NDDI-E scales. Results Fifty adults (>18 yo), of whom 68% were caregivers, answered the survey. During the pandemic, 40% faced adversities in accessing their usual healthcare professionals and 38% in obtaining anti-seizure medication (ASM). Despite these issues, 66% of those on KDT could comply with their treatment. Those struggling to maintain KDT (34%) named these obstacles mainly: diet costs, social isolation, food availability, and carbohydrate craving due to anxiety or stress. An increase in seizure frequency was observed in 26% of participants, positively associated with difficulties in obtaining ASM [X2 (1, N = 48) = 6.55; p = 0.01], but not with KDT compliance issues. Conclusions People with pharmacoresistant epilepsy and undergoing KDT, as well as their caregivers, faced additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only difficulties in accessing healthcare and KDT maintenance but also on seizure control and mental health. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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