[Sociocultural approach to epilepsy in Mauritania]

In Black Africa, treatment of epilepsy is affected by sociocultural attitudes. The purpose of this report is to describe attitudes towards epilepsy in Mauritania and assess repercussions in 150 patients. Most patients were deprived of educational and occupational opportunities. Seventy-seven percent of patients were treated by traditional remedies. Regardless of ethnic origin, a widely held notion was that epilepsy was caused by djinns (evil spirits). An additional cause almost consistently cited by the Moorish population was diet. In these ethnic groups, the term iguindi refers to all clinical manifestations including seizures attributed to excessive eating. Traditional treatment involves ingestion of foods considered as antidotes for iguindi. These findings underline the need for information campaigns to enhance public awareness and understanding of epilepsy.