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Behavioral and emotional problems in children with epilepsy
Michael Freilinger1, Barbara Reisel, Edith Reiter
1Department of Pediatrics, Vienna University Hospital, Austria. michael.freilinger@meduniwien.ac.at
Journal of Child Neurology
|November 10, 2006
Summary
Behavioral and emotional problems are common in children with epilepsy. Factors like epilepsy cause, age of onset, and multiple medications are linked to these issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Child Psychology
- Epileptology
Background:
- Behavioral and emotional problems are frequently observed in children with epilepsy.
- Understanding the link between epilepsy-related factors and these issues is crucial for comprehensive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess behavioral and emotional problems in children with epilepsy.
- To investigate associations between specific problems and medical epilepsy-related factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for parent-reported assessments.
- Evaluated 108 children (5-18 years) with various epilepsy syndromes.
- Recorded epilepsy-related factors: etiology, age at onset, seizure type, prognosis, frequency, EEG, and anticonvulsive therapy.
Main Results:
- 22.2% of patients exhibited moderate to severe behavioral/emotional problems (CBCL total score).
- Higher CBCL scores correlated with etiology, age at onset, and polypharmacy.
- Symptomatic epilepsy and earlier onset linked to higher Social Problem scores.
- Anticonvulsive polytherapy associated with increased Social Problems, Attention Problems, and Aggressive Behavior scores.
- No significant associations found with seizure symptoms, frequency, or EEG.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral and emotional issues are prevalent in pediatric epilepsy.
- Specific epilepsy-related factors significantly correlate with these problems.
- Psychosocial support should be integrated into routine epilepsy management for children.
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