[Psychological manifestations of epilepsy in childhood]

Epilepsy in infancy, far from being a condition in which only convulsive phenomena occur, also has important cognitive and behavioral components, which may be more important than the epileptic seizures itself. The psychological repercussions of epilepsy are the sum of various factors due to the epilepsy itself, the treatment given, the side-effects of drugs given and the manner in which the patient copes with his illness. The epilepsy itself shows the effect of the causal lesion, lesions associated with this causal lesion and the immediate and long-term effects of the resulting paroxystic discharges. The most significant manifestations are: attention disorders, problems of social relationships and problems of conduct. Treatment and diagnosis should not be limited to treatment of the crises. In all epileptic children neuropsychological assessment should be directed towards the detection and surveillance of the most common problems. This has a considerable effect on the quality of life of the epileptic patient. In cases of benign idiopathic epilepsies, which occur most frequently in childhood, evaluation of conduct using Achenbach's questionnaire (CBCL) may be sufficient, together with assessment of the ability to pay attention on Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of intellectual capacity using the WISC-R or K-ABC scales.