ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2021
In pursuit of a cure: The plural therapeutic landscape of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy in Cameroon - A mixed methods study.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of seasonal changes on human onchocerciasis transmission and disease elimination.International health · 2026Review
- Use of antimicrobials and other medical products in an ethnic minority context of South-Central Vietnam: A qualitative study of vulnerability.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Correction: In pursuit of a cure: The plural therapeutic landscape of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy in Cameroon-A mixed methods study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Communication in Neglected Tropical Diseases' elimination: A scoping review and call for action.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA high prevalence of epilepsy has been observed in several onchocerciasis-endemic villages in the Sanaga River basin, Cameroon. Recent studies suggest that ivermectin, a drug that is distributed annually with the aim of eliminating onchocerciasis, may have a protective effect against acquiring onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy (OAE). This study, therefore, provides an in-depth understanding of both the complex therapeutic landscape for epilepsy as well as the experiences related to the 'community-directed treatment with ivermectin' (CDTI) campaign in order to identify a more trenchant path forward in the fight against epilepsy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsBased on a mixed methods study combining a qualitative strand with a quantitative survey, we found that epilepsy was perceived to have had an epidemic emergence in the past and was still considered an important health issue in the study area. Socio-economic status, availability and accessibility of drugs and practitioners, as well as perceived aetiology shaped therapeutic itineraries for epilepsy, which included frequenting (in)formal biomedical health care providers, indigenous and/or faith healing practitioners. Ivermectin uptake for onchocerciasis was generally well known and well regarded. The CDTI faced structural and logistical bottlenecks undermining equal access and optimal adherence to the drug. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Locally accessible, uninterrupted, sustainable and comprehensive health-service delivery is essential to help alleviate the epilepsy burden on afflicted households. Addressing structural challenges of CDTI and communicating the potential link with epilepsy to local populations at risk could optimize the uptake of this potentially significant tool in OAE prevention.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.