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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Epilepsy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1548477
Evolving trends and burden of idiopathic epilepsy among children (0-14 years), 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021
Provisionally accepted- 1 Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- 2 Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- 3 Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical Univesity, Nanjing, China
- 4 Nanjing Children's Hospital, Nanjing, China
Objective: This systematic analysis aims to elucidate the trends and burden of idiopathic epilepsy among children aged 0 to 14 from 1990 to 2021, utilizing Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data to explore demographic and geographical variations, highlight progress, and identify ongoing challenges.Methods: Data were sourced from the GBD 2021 database, focusing on children aged 0-14. Annual absolute numbers and age-standardized rates for incidence (ASIR), prevalence (ASPR), mortality (ASMR), and disability-adjusted life years (ASDR) of idiopathic epilepsy were retrieved. Joinpoint regression analyses assessed changes over time, calculating average annual percentage change (AAPC) statistics. Data collation and visualizations were conducted using R software, with statistical significance established at a p-value threshold of 0.05.In 2021, there were 1,227,191 incident cases, 6,095,769 prevalent cases, 3,564,497 DALYs, and 18,171 deaths due to idiopathic epilepsy globally. The ASIR increased by 0.27% from 55.74 to 61.35 per 100,000 population from 1990 to 2021. In contrast, ASPR (AAPC = -0.03), ASMR (AAPC = -1.60), and ASDR (AAPC = -1.01) all decreased. Regionally, the low-middle SDI region had the highest burden, while the high SDI region had the highest ASIR and ASPR. The low SDI region experienced the highest ASMR and ASDR. Significant regional variations were noted, with the African Region exhibiting the highest ASIR and ASDR, while the Western Pacific Region had the lowest. Nationally, substantial variations were observed across 204 countries, with notable differences in ASIR, ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR.Despite overall declines in ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR, the slight increase in ASIR and regional disparities highlight ongoing challenges. Low and low-middle SDI regions continue to bear a higher burden, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and improved healthcare access. Future efforts should focus on strengthening healthcare systems, enhancing diagnostic and treatment capabilities, and increasing awareness, particularly in resource-limited regions.
Keywords: idiopathic epilepsy, Children, Global burden of disease, Trends, systematic analysis
Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 28 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Fulai, Tu, Jiang, Zhao, Li, Wu and Pingmin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wei Li, Nanjing Children's Hospital, Nanjing, China
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