title: Baseline cognition, behavior, and motor skills in children with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epilepsy is associated with difficulties in cognition and behavior in children. These problems have been attributed to genetics, ongoing seizures, psychosocial issues, underlying abnormality of the brain, and/or antiepileptic drugs. In a previous study, we found baseline cognitive differences between children with partial versus generalized and convulsive versus non-convulsive seizures. Measures in that study focused primarily on IQ scores. In the present study, we assessed baseline function with respect to new learning, attention, and memory, thus providing a more comprehensive profile than our previous study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 57 children (42 females, 15 males), aged 6 to 17 years (mean 10y 1mo, SD 2y 9mo), with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsy, using tests of cognitive function reflective of new learning, memory, and attention. Seizures were classified as generalized convulsive (n=5), generalized non-convulsive (n=18), or focal (n=34). Focal seizures were divided into unilateral versus bilateral independent foci, and presence versus absence of secondary generalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attention was a particular area of weakness across all groups. The Vocabulary score of an intelligence screen was higher for the focal seizure groups (p=0.012), primarily because of a difference between the unilateral focal and the primary generalized groups (p<0.047). Children with generalized, non-convulsive seizures performed significantly worse than the focal group on a measure of short-term auditory memory (p=0.019). All groups performed poorly on a test of visual-motor speed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest intrinsic abnormalities in children with new-onset, idiopathic epilepsy at baseline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Vikram V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Bhise
authors.forename: Gail D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Burack
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Mandelbaum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results