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Published on: November 12, 2019
Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes: Correlating spike frequency and neuropsychology
Moritz Tacke1, Nina Rupp1, Lucia Gerstl1
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Objectives:
Neuropsychological sequelae are a feature of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) in children. A correlation between the frequency of interictal EEG discharges and the cognitive as well as behavioral profile of the patients has been suspected but not proven.
Materials And Methods:
Children with BECTS that had not yet been treated were included into a randomized controlled trial. In the initial visit, EEGs were recorded. The frequency of interictal discharges was quantified. Correlations between the discharge frequency and the performance in a neuropsychological test battery were examined.
Results:
The cognitive test results were within or slightly above normal range (Culture-free intelligence test: 99.4%-confidence interval [CI]: [50.3, 59.9], test standardized to a population mean of 50). Parent-reported behavioral abnormalities were statistically significantly increased (CBCL total score CI: [51.9, 61.9], population mean as above). Correlations between the frequency of interictal epileptic discharges and the test results could not be identified (lowest encountered P-value: 0.034, not significant after correction for multiple testing).
Conclusion:
The data do not support the hypothesis that the frequency of the interictal EEG discharges influences the neurocognitive performance or behavioral parameters of children with BECTS.
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