Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
10:22

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Published on: December 6, 2016

Even a single seizure negatively impacts pediatric health-related quality of life

Avani C Modi1, Andrea S King, Sally R Monahan

  • 1Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for the Promotion of Adherence and Self Management, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA. avani.modi@cchmc.org

Epilepsia
|June 4, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children experiencing a single seizure or newly diagnosed epilepsy show similar, significant impairments in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Early HRQOL evaluation is crucial for identifying at-risk children needing psychosocial support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Child Psychology
  • Quality of Life Research

Background:

  • Pediatric epilepsy and single seizures are common, impacting psychosocial functioning.
  • Previous research focused on epilepsy's effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
  • The impact of a single seizure on HRQOL remained unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare parent-proxy HRQOL in children with single seizures and newly diagnosed untreated epilepsy to normative data.
  • Examine differences in parent-proxy HRQOL between these two pediatric groups.
  • Assess the psychosocial impact of initial seizure events.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective medical chart review of children evaluated at a New-Onset Seizure Disorder Clinic.
  • Included demographic and seizure data.
  • Utilized the parent-proxy Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) to measure HRQOL.

Main Results:

  • 109 children participated (53 single seizure, 56 newly diagnosed untreated epilepsy).
  • Both groups exhibited significant HRQOL impairments compared to normative data.
  • No significant differences in HRQOL were found between the single seizure and untreated epilepsy groups.

Conclusions:

  • Children with a single seizure or epilepsy experience comparable, clinically significant HRQOL impairments.
  • HRQOL assessment after a first seizure is vital for early identification of at-risk children.
  • Timely psychosocial interventions can be facilitated by early HRQOL evaluation.
Abstract

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