Neurocysticercosis and Seizures in South-East Asia: What the Review Found

What was studied

Researchers combined 50 observational studies involving 10,743 people who presented with seizures in South-East Asia. Included neurocysticercosis cases were confirmed by neuroimaging.

The review searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to October 2025 and combined study results using a random-effects meta-analysis.

What they found

Overall, an estimated 22% of people presenting with seizures had neurocysticercosis, with a 95% confidence interval of 19% to 25%. The estimate was 30% in community-based studies and 20% in hospital-based studies. Country-level pooled prevalence was 24% in India, 21% in Nepal, and 13% in Bhutan. Publication bias was detected, although sensitivity analyses indicated that the pooled estimates were robust.

Limits of the evidence

The studies differed substantially, with heterogeneity above 90%, so the pooled estimates should be interpreted cautiously and may not apply equally across countries, populations, or study settings. Publication bias was detected, meaning the available studies may not represent all research conducted. Regional coverage was limited, and the abstract does not report estimates for every South-East Asian country. These observational prevalence studies show how often neurocysticercosis was identified among people presenting with seizures but do not establish that it caused every seizure.

For families and caregivers

The findings suggest that neurocysticercosis is common among people presenting with seizures in the studied parts of South-East Asia and may be an important preventable contributor to acquired epilepsy. However, the pooled rate is a regional estimate and cannot determine whether an individual person with seizures has the condition.

What to watch next

Broader studies covering more South-East Asian countries are needed to better define the regional burden and help guide control strategies.

Terms in this summary

neurocysticercosis

A condition described in the abstract as a major preventable cause of acquired epilepsy in regions where it is endemic.

prevalence

The proportion of a group found to have a condition.

neuroimaging

Brain imaging used to confirm neurocysticercosis cases in the included studies.

meta-analysis

A method that combines results from multiple studies into an overall estimate.

95% confidence interval

A range expressing uncertainty around an estimate; narrower ranges generally indicate greater precision.

heterogeneity

The degree to which results differ across studies.

publication bias

A concern that published studies may not represent all research that was conducted.