title: Attention impairment in childhood absence epilepsy: an impulsivity problem?
abstract: Although attention problems have often been described in children with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), the use of different methodological approaches, neuropsychological tests, and heterogeneous experimental groups has prevented identification of the selective areas of attention deficit in this population. In this study, we investigated several components of attention in children with CAE using a unique computerized test battery for attention performance. Participants included 24 patients with CAE and 24 controls matched for age and sex. They were tested with a computerized test battery, which included the following tasks: selective attention, impulsivity, focused attention, divided attention, alertness, and vigilance. Compared with healthy controls, patients with CAE made more commission errors in the Go/No-Go task and more omission errors in the divided attention task. Childhood absence epilepsy patients also showed decreased reaction times in measures of selective attention and a great variability of reaction times in alertness and Go/No-Go tasks. Our findings suggest that patients with CAE were impaired in tonic and phasic alertness, divided attention, selective attention, and impulsivity.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. caterinacerminara@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cerminara
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Agati
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casarelli
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaunzinger
authors.forename: Klaus W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Mariabernarda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitzianti
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tucha
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Curatolo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants