Magnesium valproate in learning disabled children with interictal paroxysmal EEG patterns: Preliminary report

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2011-04, Vol.492 (2), p.99-104
• Main Authors: Porras-Kattz, Eneida, Harmony, Thalía, Ricardo-Garcell, Josefina, Galán, Lídice, Fernández, Thalía, Prado-Alcalá, Roberto, Avecilla-Ramírez, Gloria, Sánchez-Moreno, Liliana, Barrera-Reséndiz, Jesús, Corsi-Cabrera, María, Valencia-Solís, Elizabeth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Child; Cognitive functions; EEG; Electroencephalography - methods; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Learning disorders; Learning Disorders - drug therapy; Learning Disorders - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropharmacology; Neuropsychological Tests; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Photic Stimulation; Psychophysics; QEEG; Valproic Acid - pharmacology; Valproic Acid - therapeutic use; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.01.065

► Children with LD NOS present frequent interictal EEG paroxysms. ► Oral MgV during six months did not decreased interictal EEG paroxysms in them. ► MgV improved in them IQ performance score and reaction time in reading skills.► MgV increased alpha and decreased theta EEG activity in them. Previous studies have investigated whether routine use of antiepileptic drugs is adequate to improve cognitive abilities in children who are learning disabled not otherwise specified (LD NOS) and who display interictal paroxysmal patterns in the electroencephalogram (EEG) but do not have epilepsy, and the findings of these studies have been controversial. In the current study, 112 LD children without epilepsy were assessed; however, only 18 met the strict inclusion/exclusion criteria in order to obtain a homogeneous sample. These children showed interictal paroxysmal patterns in the EEG, and a randomized, double-blind trial was carried out on them. The children were treated with either magnesium valproate (MgV; 20 mg/kg/day) or a placebo for six months, and differences in WISC subtests, in a computerized reading skills battery (BTL) and EEG recordings were evaluated between groups before and after the treatment period. Performance IQ score and several items of the BTL (rhymes and ordering of words) improved in children who received MgV, whereas no changes were observed in the placebo group. No changes in the number of interictal paroxysmal patterns were observed in any group; however increased EEG currents at 10.92 and 12.87 Hz (alpha band) in posterior regions and decreased currents in frequencies within the theta band (3.90, 4.29 and 5.07 Hz) in frontal regions and at 4.68 and 5.46 Hz in the parietal cortex were observed, suggesting an improvement in EEG maturation.