Response to rehabilitation of children and adolescents with epilepsy

One hundred fifty-six children and adolescents with epilepsy from six Italian rehabilitation units were retrospectively enrolled to define the proportion of patients with epileptogenic developmental disorders who benefit from comprehensive rehabilitation programs and to identify factors predicting treatment response. The rehabilitation programs were classified as neuromotor, psychomotor, and speech and language. For each program, the response was coded as present or absent according to the caring physician's judgment. Selected demographic and clinical variables were correlated to treatment response. Neuromotor rehabilitation was performed in 86 cases (55%), psychomotor rehabilitation in 54 cases (34%), and speech and language rehabilitation in 40 cases (26%). Response rates were 58, 74, and 90%, respectively. Independent negative predictors of treatment response included severity of functional impairment (odds ratio=0.02, 95% confidence interval=0.01-0.14) and daily seizures (odds ratio=0.22, 95% confidence interval=0.08-0.58).