Attention profile in children with epilepsy compared to healthy children using computer-based ForamenRehab program
Marianne Saard1, Lisanna Pertens2, Kirsi Sepp3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Insights
Children with epilepsy show attention impairments, particularly in sustained, complex, and tracking attention, highlighting the need for targeted cognitive neurorehabilitation. Focused attention remained comparable to healthy peers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurorehabilitation
Background:
- Attention is crucial for cognitive function.
- Attention deficits are common in children with epilepsy, a prevalent pediatric neurological disorder.
- Assessing attention profiles aids in identifying cognitive weaknesses and tailoring neurorehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the attention profiles of children with epilepsy.
- To compare the attention performance of children with epilepsy to that of neurologically healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Attention module of the ForamenRehab computer-program for assessments.
- Measured four attention components: focused, sustained, complex, and tracking.
- Included 29 children with epilepsy (aged 8-12) and 19 age-matched healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Children with epilepsy demonstrated significant impairments in sustained, complex, and tracking attention compared to controls (p < 0.05).
- Focused attention performance was similar between children with epilepsy and the comparison group.
- All children exhibited faster visual reaction times than auditory reaction times.
Conclusions:
- Children with epilepsy exhibit specific attention deficits beyond focused attention.
- Results underscore the necessity for attention-focused rehabilitation in pediatric epilepsy.
- Intervention planning should target specific impaired attention components for effective neurorehabilitation.
Abstract:
Attention is a key component in cognitive functioning. Attention impairment is often present in children with epilepsy, which is one of the most common neurological disorders in children and adolescents. Evaluating the attention profiles is important for describing the patients' cognitive weaknesses and planning individual-based cognitive neurorehabilitation. The aim of this study was to assess the attention profiles of children with epilepsy and compare the results to neurologically healthy children. Twenty-nine children with epilepsy aged 8-12 years and 19 neurologically healthy age-matched comparison group participated in assessments with baseline tasks of the Attention module of ForamenRehab computer-program. Four separate attention components were measured - focused, sustained, complex, and tracking - to reveal the most impaired aspects of attention. At the baseline level, patients showed impairments in different attention function components compared to comparison group. Children with epilepsy had significantly lower results in sustained, complex attention, and tracking components (p < 0.05). The patients had similar results with comparison group only in one component - focused attention. All children had quicker visual reaction times compared to their auditory reaction times. The results emphasize the need for attention rehabilitation in children with epilepsy and help to focus on specific components of attention in planning the intervention process.
