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Behavioral problems in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes treated and untreated with

Rūta Samaitienė1, Jolita Norkūnienė, Giedrė Jurkevičienė

  • 1Clinic of Children’s Diseases, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. ruta.samaitiene@vuvl.lt

Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
|October 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), particularly those on medication and with longer-term epilepsy, face higher risks of behavioral issues. Academic performance and EEG findings are linked to these problems.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Child Psychology
  • Epileptology

Background:

  • Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is a common epilepsy syndrome in children.
  • Behavioral problems can significantly impact a child's development and quality of life.
  • The influence of antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment and epilepsy characteristics on behavior in BECTS requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare behavioral problems in children with BECTS, differentiating between those treated with AEDs and untreated children.
  • To identify factors, including clinical, EEG, and academic parameters, associated with behavioral problems in BECTS.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 20 untreated BECTS patients, 23 treated BECTS patients, and 20 children with peripheral nervous system disorders (comparison group).
  • Participants aged 6-11 years were assessed using the Lithuanian version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
  • Analysis included correlations between CBCL scores and schooling, clinical, and EEG parameters.

Main Results:

  • Treated BECTS patients exhibited significantly higher scores in Social Problems, Anxious/Depressed, Aggressive Behavior, and Attention Problems compared to the control group.
  • In treated patients, native language grades correlated with Attention Problems, math grades with treatment duration, and age at first seizure with Delinquent Behavior.
  • Epilepsy duration correlated positively with Withdrawn and Delinquent Behavior. Extrarolandic discharges were linked to higher scores in Social Problems, Attention Problems, and Delinquent Behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Children with BECTS, especially those treated and with prolonged epilepsy, are at increased risk for behavioral problems.
  • Lower academic performance is associated with longer disease duration and AED treatment.
  • The presence of extrarolandic discharges in treated BECTS patients is related to elevated CBCL scores, indicating a higher behavioral problem burden.

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