Combined evoked potentials in co-occuring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy
1Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. zoltan.major@umfcluj.ro
Insights
Evoked potentials reveal distinct patterns in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. Combined ADHD and epilepsy show unique disturbances, suggesting a shared pathway and potential diagnostic value.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Neurophysiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Evoked potentials are known to be disrupted in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy.
- The impact of these conditions individually and concurrently on evoked potentials requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how evoked potentials are characteristically affected by ADHD and epilepsy, both separately and together.
- To explore the potential diagnostic significance of combined evoked potential recordings in comorbid cases.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 40 children divided into four groups: control, ADHD, epilepsy, and comorbid ADHD-epilepsy.
- Assessment included brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs), visual evoked potentials (VEPs), and auditory P300.
- Epilepsy patients were on antiepileptic treatment; ADHD patients were untreated.
Main Results:
- Epilepsy prolonged visual evoked potential latencies (P100, N135), an effect attenuated by comorbid ADHD.
- Brainstem auditory evoked potential components were prolonged in the comorbid group.
- Auditory P300 latencies were extended in children with both ADHD and epilepsy.
- Cognitive performance was reduced in the ADHD group.
Conclusions:
- Comorbid ADHD and epilepsy present unique evoked potential disturbances, hinting at a shared physiopathological mechanism.
- Combined evoked potential recordings may hold diagnostic importance for this comorbidity.
Background And Purpose:
Evoked potentials, both stimulus related and event related, show disturbances in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and epilepsies, too. This study was designed to evaluate if these potentials are characteristically influenced by the presence of the two diseases, individually, and in the case of co-occurrence.
Methods:
Forty children were included, and four groups were formed, control group, ADHD group, epilepsy group and a group with the comorbidity of epilepsy and ADHD. Epilepsy patients were under proper antiepileptic treatment; ADHD patients were free of specific therapy. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials, visual evoked potentials and auditory P300 evaluation were performed.
Results:
The latency of the P100 and N135 visual evoked potential components was significantly extended by the presence of epilepsy. If ADHD was concomitantly present, this effect was attenuated. Brainstem auditory evoked potential components were prolonged in the presence of the comorbidity, considering the waves elicited in the brainstem. P300 latencies were prolonged by the presence of co-occurring ADHD and epilepsy. Feedback parameters showed overall reduction of the tested cognitive performances in the ADHD group.
Conclusion:
Disturbances produced by the presence of ADHD-epilepsy comorbidity reveal hypothetically a linked physiopathological path for both diseases, and offers an approach with possible diagnostic importance, combined evoked potential recordings.
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