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Quality of life in children with new-onset epilepsy: a 2-year prospective cohort study

Kathy N Speechley1, Mark A Ferro, Carol S Camfield

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, UK. kathy.speechley@lhsc.on.ca

Neurology
|September 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children with new-onset epilepsy varied significantly. Cognitive problems and family factors were key predictors of poorer HRQL outcomes over two years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Quality of Life Research
  • Epilepsy Management

Background:

  • New-onset epilepsy significantly impacts children's lives.
  • Understanding health-related quality of life (HRQL) is crucial for effective pediatric epilepsy care.
  • Longitudinal data on HRQL trajectories in newly diagnosed epilepsy is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) over two years in children aged 4-12 years with new-onset epilepsy.
  • To identify baseline risk factors associated with HRQL outcomes at two years post-diagnosis.
  • To analyze individual HRQL trajectories in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter prospective cohort study (HERQULES) involving 283 children.
  • Parent-reported HRQL and family factors, alongside neurologist-reported clinical data, collected four times.
  • Individual growth curve modeling and multiple regression analyses were used to determine HRQL trajectories and risk factors.

Main Results:

  • HRQL scores showed rapid improvement in the first six months, then stabilized.
  • Approximately 50% of children experienced meaningful HRQL improvements, while 20% declined.
  • Compared to the general population, children with epilepsy scored lower on psychosocial HRQL measures at two years.
  • Cognitive problems, poor family functioning, and high family demands predicted poorer HRQL at two years.

Conclusions:

  • While average HRQL was relatively good, individual trajectories varied considerably.
  • A significant proportion of children did not achieve meaningful HRQL improvements or experienced declines.
  • Cognitive problems emerged as the strongest predictor of compromised HRQL, potentially driving declines in newly diagnosed epilepsy cases.
Abstract

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