The consequences of idiopathic partial epilepsies in relation to neuropsychological functioning: a closer look at the associated mathematical disability.
Although the seizure prognosis is mostly favorable in idiopathic partial epilepsies, there is some empirical evidence showing that subtle neuropsychological impairments, with a consequent risk of academic underachievement, are not rare. We investigated neuropsychological functioning including attention, memory, visuomotor ability, and executive functioning with a closer look at the associated mathematical ability in patients with idiopathic partial epilepsies. A battery of age-appropriate, neuropsychological and mathematics achievement tests was administered to 30 participants with idiopathic partial epilepsy [13 children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), 17 children with idiopathic childhood occipital epilepsies (ICOE)], and to 30 healthy participants matched for age, sex, handedness, and socioeconomic status. Results did not support any impairment in overall neuropsychological functioning in participants with idiopathic partial epilepsies, whereas, isolated deficits did exist. The mean performance of the IPE group was significantly lower than the control group in six out of 12, neuropsychological measures: drawing (p < 0.01), digit span (p < 0.05), verbal learning (p < 0.01), object assembly (p < 0.01), similarities (p < 0.05), and vocabulary (p < 0.001). Results suggested that one should be cautious regarding neuropsychological and academic prognosis in the so-called benign idiopathic partial epilepsies of childhood.
Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Boğaziçi University, Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey. hande.sart@boun.edu.tr
Z Hande
ZH
Sart
Veysi
V
Demirbilek
Bariş
B
Korkmaz
Peter D
PD
Slade
Ayşin
A
Dervent
Brenda D
BD
Townes
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*