Changing name of epilepsy in Korea; cerebroelectric disorder(noi-jeon-jeung,뇌전증,腦電症) My Epilepsy Story

Abstract

Public misconception of epilepsy may lead to significant stigma to the disease

itself, thereby causing impaired quality of life in people with epilepsy.

Traditionally, epilepsy has been considered to be the consequence of evanescent

spiritual forces, and even demonic possession (in many countries). The names of

epilepsy in some East Asian countries originated from China, and include madness

in their meaning. We recently changed the Korean name of epilepsy, gan-jil (, : a

crazy, convulsive disease having meaning similar to ), to a neutral and

scientifically explainable name: noi-jeon-jeung (; ; cerebroelectric disorder).

We expect that changing the stigmatized name of epilepsy to a neutral and

scientific term with the meaning of cerebroelectric disorder will reduce the

social stigma by understanding of epilepsy as one of the neurologic disorders.