Febrile seizures and cognitive function in young adult life: a prevalence study in Danish conscripts.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between febrile seizures and cognitive performance in early adulthood.


METHODS
This is a population-based study using data linked from health-care databases and conscript records of Danish men born from 1977 to 1983. The association between febrile seizures and cognitive function, measured with the Boerge Prien validated group intelligence test, was examined overall and by age of seizure, adjusted for potential confounders. The analysis was restricted to men without a known history of epilepsy (n = 18 276).


RESULTS
Of the 18 276 eligible conscripts, 507 (2.8%) had a record of hospitalization with febrile seizures. Compared with conscripts with no such record, the adjusted prevalence ratio for having a Boerge Prien score in the bottom quartile was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.94-1.25). The adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.38 (95% CI, 1.07-1.79) for febrile seizures with an onset age of 3 months to <1 year, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.80-1.18) for febrile seizures with an onset age of 1 to 2 years, and 1.14 (95% CI, 0.79-1.66) for an onset age of 3 to 5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, there was little association between febrile seizures and cognitive function.
Nørgaard
Mette
M
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. m.noergaard@rn.dk
Ehrenstein
Vera
V
Mahon
Barbara E
BE
Nielsen
Gunnar L
GL
Rothman
Kenneth J
KJ
Sørensen
Henrik Toft
HT
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D015995:Prevalence; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult