title: [Cognitive function of 172 cases of 6 - 13 years old children with epilepsy in regular school].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the cognitive function, its correlation with and the impact on quality of life in epileptic children aged 6-13 years in regular school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive function of 172 children with various types of epilepsy were measured using a computerized neuropsychological test battery including six items. Their scores across the neuropsychological measures were compared with 172 healthy control subjects from the general population strictly matched for age, sex and the region where education was accepted. The quality of life was measured in 105 cases by the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31).
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) After adjusting for age, gender, and education, children with epilepsy performed significantly worse than healthy control subjects on 5 of 6 cognitive tasks, including Raven's progressive matrices correct number (8.6 vs. 14.0), choice reaction time (620.4 ms vs. 489.5 ms), word-rhyming tasks (2796.9 ms vs. 2324.4 ms), simple substraction correct number (28.6 vs. 35.5)as well as number comparision (1002.4 ms vs. 803.1 ms), P < 0.01. When an impairment index was calculated, 44.2% patients had at least one abnormal score on the test battery, compared with 14.5% of healthy volunteers, there was statistically significant differences between the two groups, P < 0.001. (2) Children with new onset epilepsy before the treatment with anti-epilepstic drugs performed significantly worse than healthy controls on 5 of 6 cognitive tasks, including Raven's progressive matrices correct number (9.1 vs. 13.8), choice reaction time (625.8 ms vs.474.5 ms), word-rhyming tasks(3051.8 ms vs. 2575.4 ms), simple substraction correct number (28.9 vs. 35.3) as well as number comparison (942.4 ms vs. 775.8 ms), P < 0.01. (3) Cognitive performance was not related to the age of onset, type of epilepsy, therapy duration or comorbid emotional and behavior disorders, P > 0.05. (4) 105 cases filled in the QOLIE-31 questionaire, the total score of the quality of life in the group without cognitive impairment and psychical conditions was the highest (60.5 ± 0.9), and the lowest total score was found in group with cognitive impairment and psychical conditions (54.6 ± 1.5), there were highly significant differences between the groups, P < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost one-half of the children with epilepsy accepting regular education had at least one abnormal score in the battery tests. Newly diagnosed untreated patients with epilepsy are cognitively compromised before the start of antiepileptic drug medication. Cognitive impairment was not related to the epilepsy-related or psychiatric variables. Cognitive impairment and mental disorders require further attention and essential therapy, which is important to the improvement of the quality of life in epileptic children.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Gui-zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiu-xian
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Er-zhen
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin-lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ke-ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D011930:Reaction Time; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires