title: Mental health of children and adolescents with epilepsy: analysis of clinical and neuropsichological aspects.
abstract: Epilepsy compromises the development of cognitive and social skills and represents a risk of psychiatric comorbidity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare psychopathological symptoms in children with epilepsy and in a healthy group, and to correlate the results with neuropsychological and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty five children with idiopathic epilepsy and sixty five healthy controls underwent neuropsychological evaluation and their caregivers replied to a psychopathology questionnaire (Child Behavior Checklist - CBCL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in CBCL, with poorer results showed mainly by patients with epilepsy. There was no significant association between any psychopathological symptom and disease duration or amount of antiepileptic drugs used. There was positive correlation between intelligence quocient and CBCL on items such as sluggish cognitive tempo, aggressive behavior, attention problems and activities and a negative relation between academic achievement, conduct and rule-breaking behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with epilepsy had the worse results in the psychopathology evaluation. Certain psychopathological variables are related to the cognitive profile, with no relation to clinical variables.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda de Souza
authors.initials: Fde S
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea Bandeira
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: de  Lima
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Christina
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heber de Souza
authors.initials: Hde S
authors.lastname: Maia-Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires