Behavioral and Intellectual Disabilities in Pediatric Epilepsy Examined

Three studies were presented at the American Epilepsy Society’s (AES) 68th Annual Meeting regarding childhood epilepsy and its effects on psychological and intellectual development (ID). The first study, by Dalhousie University, analyzed 30 years of data regarding a sample of epileptic children from Nova Scotia, who were also diagnosed with ID. Researchers found that mild ID had solid chances of full remission from epilepsy, showing that milder disability cases were not indicators of long-term prognosis. Researchers at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine studied the connection between childhood epilepsy and psychiatric disorders. Epileptic children were measured as being more problematic for parents based on typical behavioral reports, as well as scoring lower on IQ testing. The University of Wisconsin Madison sought to determine if established epileptic children would have higher rates of psychological disorders compared to non-epileptics. Final conclusions indicated that epileptics had higher rates of depression, anxiety and ADHD two years after diagnosis. “This study indicates that rates of psychological disorders are higher in children with epilepsy compared to children without seizures. This study also indicates that there may be differences in the course of psychological disorders in children with epilepsy associated with focal and generalized seizures,” said the author. To learn more about these studies, click here.