title: Neuropsychological correlates of electroencephalograms in children with epilepsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the degree to which neurophysiological activity on routine clinical EEG is associated with neuropsychological deficiencies in children with epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five children with epilepsy (58 chronic, 37 recent-onset; mean age = 10.41 years, S.D. = 2.87 years; mean age at onset = 5.86 years, S.D. = 3.46 years) completed a neuropsychological battery. Neurophysiological data were collected from the most recent EEG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the recent-onset sample, no neuropsychological scores were related to any EEG variable. In the chronic sample, however, presence of slow-wave activity was related to memory impairment (p < 0.01). Post-hoc analyses on other neuropsychological measures showed localization of epileptiform activity (EA) might be related to verbal learning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with slow-wave activity on EEG might be at increased risk for developing neuropsychological deficits. When these abnormalities are observed on a child's EEG, closer monitoring of cognitive and academic functioning seems warranted. Differences between these findings and past research suggest that conclusions drawn from adult surgical studies cannot be generalized to pediatric patients, especially recent-onset samples, without qualification. Differences between the recent-onset and chronic samples in this cross-sectional study raise the possibility that neurophysiological abnormalities have a cumulative effect on cognitive development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Purdue School of Science, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA. jkoop@neuroscience.mcw.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Koop
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Fastenau
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Joan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Austin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology