[The development of the personality in childhood epilepsy with complex-partial seizures]

The study presented addresses the association between severity and course of childhood epilepsy with complex-partial seizures and subsequent personality development. Participants in the study were 84 patients first seen when they were 8 years on average. A follow-up examination was conducted about 13 years thereafter. At the first examination about half of the patients showed a psychiatric disorder, another quarter showed developmental delays and 35% were mentally retarded. It could be demonstrated that a high frequency of complex-partial seizures was related to depressive symptoms. However, additional generalized seizures did not further contribute to the severity of psychiatric problems. Patients who continued to show seizures reported less life satisfaction, a more passive attitude and higher emotional instability at follow-up in comparison to patients with a complete remission of epilepsy.