Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26290354›Full record

ArticleEpilepsia2015

Genetic causal attribution of epilepsy and its implications for felt stigma.

Maya Sabatello, Jo C Phelan, Dale C Hesdorffer, Sara Shostak, Jeff Goldsmith, Shawn T Sorge, Melodie R Winawer, Wendy K Chung, Ruth Ottman

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsia, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Impact of a Genetic Diagnosis for a Child's Autism on Parental Perceptions.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Maya SabatelloDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Jo C PhelanDepartment of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Dale C HesdorfferG. H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Sara ShostakDepartment of Sociology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Jeff GoldsmithDepartment of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Shawn T SorgeG. H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Melodie R WinawerG. H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Wendy K ChungDepartment of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Ruth OttmanG. H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Columbia University · USBrandeis University · US

Funding

Center for Research on the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Psychiatric, Neurologic and Behavioral GeneticsP50HG007257 · NHGRI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI APPELBAUM, PAUL STUART · 2013 to 2017
$5.4M
Center for Research on Ethical, Legal & Social Implications of Psychiatric, Neurologic & Behavioral GeneticsRM1HG007257 · NHGRI · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI APPELBAUM, PAUL STUART · 2018 to 2021
$4.4M
Psychosocial Impact of Genetics in EpilepsyR01NS078419 · NINDS · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI OTTMAN, RUTH · 2012 to 2015
$2.3M
NHGRI NIH HHS P50 HG007257NHGRI NIH HHS RM1 HG007257NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS078419
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveResearch in other disorders suggests that genetic causal attribution of epilepsy might be associated with increased stigma. We investigated this hypothesis in a unique sample of families containing multiple individuals with epilepsy.

methodsOne hundred eighty-one people with epilepsy and 178 biologic relatives without epilepsy completed a self-administered survey. In people with epilepsy, felt stigma was assessed through the Epilepsy Stigma Scale (ESS), scored 1-7, with higher scores indicating more stigma and >4 indicating some felt stigma. Felt stigma related to having epilepsy in the family was assessed through the Family Epilepsy Stigma Scale (FESS), created by replacing "epilepsy" with "epilepsy in my family" in each ESS item. Genetic attribution was assessed through participants' perceptions of the (1) role of genetics in causing epilepsy in the family, (2) chance they had an epilepsy-related mutation, and (3) (in people with epilepsy) influence of genetics in causing their epilepsy.

resultsAmong people with epilepsy, 22% met criteria for felt stigma (ESS score >4). Scores were increased among individuals who were aged ≥60 years, were unemployed, reported epilepsy-related discrimination, or had seizures within the last year or >100 seizures in their lifetime. Adjusting for other variables, ESS scores in people with epilepsy were significantly higher among those who perceived genetics played a "medium" or "big" role in causing epilepsy in the family than in others (3.4 vs. 2.7, p = 0.025). Only 4% of relatives without epilepsy had felt stigma. Scores in relatives were unrelated to genetic attribution. SIGNIFICANCE: In these unusual families, predictors of felt stigma in individuals with epilepsy are similar to those in other studies, and stigma levels are low in relatives without epilepsy. Felt stigma may be increased in people with epilepsy who believe epilepsy in the family has a genetic cause, emphasizing the need for sensitive communication about genetics.

Indexed as

Social StigmaAdolescentAdultAgedAge DistributionDiscriminant AnalysisEpilepsyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsSex FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultEpidemiologyGenetic attributionGeneticsStigmaSurvey

Identifiers

PMID26290354
PMCPMC4593736
OpenAlexW2113423495

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.