Baseline cognition, behavior, and motor skills in children with new‐onset, idiopathic epilepsy

• Published in: Developmental medicine and child neurology 2010-01, Vol.52 (1), p.22-26
• Main Authors: BHISE, VIKRAM V, BURACK, GAIL D, MANDELBAUM, DAVID E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adolescent; Attention; Auditory Stimuli; Behavior Rating Scales; Check Lists; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Classification; Clinical Diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognitive Development; Cognitive Processes; Dentistry; Depression (Psychology); Economic Status; Epilepsies, Partial - diagnosis; Epilepsy; Epilepsy, Generalized - diagnosis; Etiology; Female; Generalization; Genetics; Humans; Hyperactivity; Intelligence; Intelligence Quotient; Intelligence Tests; Learning Processes; Male; Measurement Techniques; Measures (Individuals); Memory; Motor Skills Disorders - diagnosis; Motor Skills Disorders - psychology; Narcotics; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Psychomotor Skills; Reproducibility of Results; Scores; Seizures; Special Schools; Statistical Analysis; Verbal Learning; Visual Stimuli; Vocabulary
• ISSN: 0012-1622; 1469-8749
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03404.x

Aim  Epilepsy is associated with difficulties in cognition and behavior in children. These problems have been attributed to genetics, ongoing seizures, psychosocial issues, underlying abnormality of the brain, and/or antiepileptic drugs. In a previous study, we found baseline cognitive differences between children with partial versus generalized and convulsive versus non‐convulsive seizures. Measures in that study focused primarily on IQ scores. In the present study, we assessed baseline function with respect to new learning, attention, and memory, thus providing a more comprehensive profile than our previous study. Method  We examined 57 children (42 females, 15 males), aged 6 to 17 years (mean 10y 1mo, SD 2y 9mo), with new‐onset, idiopathic epilepsy, using tests of cognitive function reflective of new learning, memory, and attention. Seizures were classified as generalized convulsive (n=5), generalized non‐convulsive (n=18), or focal (n=34). Focal seizures were divided into unilateral versus bilateral independent foci, and presence versus absence of secondary generalization. Results  Attention was a particular area of weakness across all groups. The Vocabulary score of an intelligence screen was higher for the focal seizure groups (p=0.012), primarily because of a difference between the unilateral focal and the primary generalized groups (p