title: The effect of depression on academic achievement in children with epilepsy.
abstract: In this cross-sectional study our aim was to evaluate the effect of depression on academic achievement in children with epilepsy and low school performance. Fifty-one children with epilepsy and low school performance were evaluated with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) to measure depressive symptoms. School performance was evaluated with Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF). Children diagnosed with depressive spectrum disorders received medical therapy. All tests were administered in the first interview and repeated at the end of 6 months of therapy. Forty-three children completed the study. The patients were evaluated with DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Accordingly, 9 (20.9%) children had Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 4 (9.3%) had Depressive Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (DD-NOS). All children with MDD and DD-NOS received antidepressant medication, but only seven of them completed treatment. Posttreatment CDI scores were significantly lower, and TRF scores also improved. Pediatric neurologists should be aware of the possibility of depressive disorders in children with epilepsy, especially in those with low school performance.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ege University Hospitial, Bornova, Izmir 35100, Turkey. aysetosun2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosun
authors.forename: Sezen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gokcen
authors.forename: Burcu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozbaran
authors.forename: Gul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serdaroglu
authors.forename: Muzaffer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tekgul
authors.forename: Sarenur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gokben
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales