• Neurology
• Epidemiology

Worldwide, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. Prevalence data on the burden of epilepsy suggests considerable variation across the globe,1 with the highest prevalence in developing countries. While this heterogeneity is multifactorial, there is no denying that diagnostic difficulties in epilepsy have long been recognised globally. The paper from Wilhelmine et al2 would suggest that the cumulative and annual incidence of epilepsy in children is declining. The change observed over just a decade is striking. The authors suggest a number of explanations, including greater accuracy in diagnosis and changes in population risk factors. This paper should give cause for reflection on the advances that have been made in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy in recent years.

Epilepsy in children and adults has attracted a lot of attention in the past two decades. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) became an …