There is a stigma and lack of awareness surrounding epilepsy, expert says

People using assisted living due to epilepsy may find they are subject to a stigma and a lack of awareness about the condition.

Delphine van der Pauw, of Epilepsy Research UK, said that despite the best efforts of people with the condition, epilepsy remains a much-stigmatised disease and people simply do not know enough about it.

She added that the limitations in government funding of epilepsy also mean that there are frequent "inefficiencies" in management of the disease.

"There are ongoing efforts amidst the epilepsy community to lobby MPs to make epilepsy a higher priority, so that people can get the medical attention and support that they need," added Ms van der Paw.

This follows research from Taiwan which revealed a bidirectional relationship between schizophrenia and epilepsy, according to research published in Epilepsia.

Patients with epilepsy were almost eight times more likely to develop schizophrenia, while those with schizophrenia were almost six times more likely to get epilepsy.

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