title: Not EEG abnormalities but epilepsy is associated with autistic regression and mental functioning in childhood autism.
abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the potential association of epilepsy and EEG abnormalities with autistic regression and mental retardation. We examined a group of 77 autistic children (61 boys, 16 girls) with an average age of 9.1 +/- 5.3 years. Clinical interview, neurological examination focused on the evaluation of epilepsy, IQ testing, and 21-channel EEG (including night sleep EEG recording) were performed. Normal EEGs were observed in 44.4% of the patients, non-epileptiform abnormal EEGs in 17.5%, and abnormal EEGs with epileptiform discharges in 38.1% of the patients. Epilepsy was found in 22.1% of the subjects. A history of regression was reported in 25.8% of the patients, 54.8% of the sample had abnormal development during the first year of life, and 79.7% of the patients were mentally retarded. Autistic regression was significantly more frequent in patients with epilepsy than in non-epileptic patients (p = 0.003). Abnormal development during the first year of life was significantly associated with epileptiform EEG abnormalities (p = 0.014). Epilepsy correlated significantly with mental retardation (p = 0.001). Although the biological basis and possible causal relationships of these associations remain to be explained, they may point to different subgroups of patients with autistic spectrum disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, V Uvalu 84, 15006 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hrdlicka
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Komarek
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Propper
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kulisek
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumrova
authors.forename: Ludvika
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faladova
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Havlovicova
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sedlacek
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blatny
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urbanek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012043:Regression, Psychology