Are children affected by epileptic neuropsychiatric comorbidities?
Childhood-onset epilepsy is associated with psychiatric and cognitive difficulties and with poor social outcomes in adulthood. Some antiepileptic drugs adversely affect behavior in susceptible children with easy-to-control or refractory epilepsies, contributing to a high risk of psychological and psychiatric disturbance. Studies had demonstrated that patients with benign rolandic epilepsy and absence epilepsy had more aggressive behavior, depression, and anxiety disorders than control children. Psychiatric comorbidities are strongly associated with a poor long-term health-related quality of life in childhood-onset epilepsy, which suggests that comprehensive epilepsy care must include screening and long-term treatment for these conditions, even if seizures remit.
Serviço de Epilepsia e EEG, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: v.c.terra@gmail.com.
Vera Cristina
VC
Terra
Serviço de Epilepsia e EEG, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil.
Luciano
L
de Paola
Serviço de Epilepsia e EEG, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil.
Carlos Eduardo
CE
Silvado
D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology
Children; Epilepsy; Psychiatric comorbidities