title: [Epilepsy and mental retardation. The school's functioning in children with epilepsy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2009 Polish Society of Epileptology have conducted the survey of public opinion over the situation of the children suffering from epilepsy. Intellectual disability is a major indication for children with epilepsy to attend to special schools and learn in integrative classes. Neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual disability, is associated with 5% of new-diagnosed cases of epilepsies and with 18% of all epilepsy cases in children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hereby author describes mechanisms that leads to cognitive impairments in the course of epilepsy, including influence of temporal and extratemporal seizures as well as school problems of children with epilepsy. From 5% to 50% of children suffering from epilepsy have problems in school and 30% require attending to special schools. School achievements of children suffering with epilepsy and normal IQ is similar to those without this disorder with IQ ranging from 71 to 85. The influence of biological factors (age of onset, number of seizures or antiepileptic drugs therapy) on school achievements is smaller than described by earlier authors. Nevertheless, even nowadays retardation in acquisition of reading, writing and calculating capacities can be noticed in 60% of children with epilepsy. Described risk can be increased by coexistence of attention deficit and emotional problems. The impairment decreases with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children suffering from epilepsy require constant monitoring of school achievements and psychostimulation even in cases with normal IQ.
authors: Zakład Neurologii, Rehabilitacji Neurologicznej i Kinezyterapii Uniwersytet im. Jana Kochanowskiego, Kielce. janusz_wendorff@o2.pl
authors: Janusz
authors: J
authors: Wendorff
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004519:Education, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors