Effects of cognitive and motor rehabilitation in non-convulsive status epilepticus: A case report

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent and unpredictable interruptions of normal brain function, that implies neurobiologic, psychological, and social consequences. Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is an electro-clinical state associated to altered level of consciousness. In NCSE could occur the behavioural and emotional disorder, cognitive impairment and psychiatric disorder with a negative impact on quality of life and adaptive social behaviours. Cognitive rehabilitation for epileptic patients may include internal compensation strategies, external memory aids, psychoeducation, verbal and visual memory training, attention exercise and executive functions. We described the cognitive rehabilitation in a patient with NCSE characterized by an unusual cognitive impairment. A 55-year-old female patient, with epileptic seizures presented a severe impairment in cognitive function and focal neurological deficit. The cognitive treatment was designed as a combination of direct training of the impaired functions and metacognitive training to facilitate the development of compensatory strategies and it was divided into three methods. Neuropsychological evaluation showed a progressive deficit of high cognitive functions. The patient after cognitive rehabilitation, demonstrated a significant recovery of motor abilities, despite the neuro-cognitive profile was abnormal. Several advances have been made in this field but few studies on neuropsychological rehabilitation in adult patients with NCSE have been conducted and no standardized protocol or clinical guidelines are still available.