Attentional processes and ADHD-related symptoms in pediatric patients with epilepsy

• Published in: Epilepsy research 2011-01, Vol.93 (1), p.53-65
• Main Authors: Liu, Shu-Tsen, Tsai, Fang-Ju, Lee, Wang-Tso, Lee, Chi-Mei, Fan, Pi-chuan, Lin, Wei-Sheng, Chiu, Yen-Nan, Gau, Susan Shur-Fen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ADHD; Adolescent; Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Attention - physiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - etiology; Attention deficits; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Continuous Performance Test; Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - complications; Female; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Neuropsychological Tests; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Predictive Value of Tests; Reaction Time - physiology; Statistics as Topic
• ISSN: 0920-1211; 1872-6844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2010.10.012

Summary Objective To investigate the attentional processes and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pediatric patients with epilepsy and IQ greater than 70 in Taiwan. Methods We assessed 61 children (male, 62.3%; full-scale IQ >70) with epilepsy, ages 6–16 years, and 61 sex-, age-, and parental education-matched typically developing children (controls). All participants completed the intelligence (WISC-III) and attention assessments (Conners’ Continuous Performance Test, CPT). The parents reported on the ADHD symptoms of their children. Results Children with epilepsy had more omission errors and deviant response style ( β ) and scored lower in the Hit Reaction Time (RT) Block Change, reflecting inattention and slowness. Epileptic children with ADHD symptoms had longer and more variable Hit RT than those without ADHD and controls. Higher full-scale IQ was significantly associated with less change in Hit RT, Hit RT block, standard error, and inter-stimulus intervals. There were no effects from age of onset, duration of having epilepsy, etiology of epilepsy, and brain anomaly on the CPT profiles. Conclusion The findings suggest that children with epilepsy, despite not mentally retarded, may have attention deficits. Hence, screening for attention problems among patients with epilepsy regardless of intelligence level and ADHD symptoms is recommended to offset possible learning adversities of this population.