Magnitude of Cognitive Impairment Among Patients With Epilepsy at Health Institutions in Gurage Zone, Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a widespread neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures; it contributes to 1% of the global burden of diseases and can end in cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude and associated factors of cognitive impairment among patients with epilepsy. METHOD: The study utilized an institution-based cross-sectional study design. All patients with epilepsy whose ages were above 18 years were the source population. The authors performed bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Finally, variables with a p-value <.05 were significantly associated. RESULT: The magnitude of cognitive impairment is 25.6%. Having no family history of epilepsy (AOR=0.12; 95% CI [0.02, 0.61]), polytherapy (AOR=5.14; 95% CI [1.12, 23.62]), and medication-related complaints (AOR=8.24; 95% CI [1.87, 36.38]) were strongly associated with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Significant numbers of patients were positive for cognitive impairment. Family history, polytherapy, and medication-related complaints were associated factors.