Tracking of executive functions and attention in people with epilepsy: Czech validation of EpiTrack®

Epilepsy treatment aims not only to control seizures but also to preserve patients' cognitive abilities. EpiTrack® is a screening tool designed to monitor the influence of anti-seizure medications on executive functions and attention.

Czech version of EpiTrack® and selected neuropsychological tests, along with questionnaires measuring anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life, were administered to consecutive epilepsy patients (n = 134) and matched by age, gender and premorbid intellect healthy controls (n = 121). Reliability and validity were assessed.

Reliability was adequate, with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.75) and moderate test-retest reliability (rp = 0.59). Only 4 % of controls were classified as cognitive impaired, compared with 45 % of patients. Scores were sensitive to monthly seizure frequency, polytherapy, focal epilepsy, and were negatively correlated with premorbid intelligence, education, and activities of daily living (ps < 0.05). Multiple regression results suggested negative cognitive effects of anti-seizure medications (ps < 0.05) Principal component analysis yielded a two-factor solution (verbal and visuospatial) accounting for 58 % of the total variance in healthy controls, whereas in the patient group only one factor was extracted, accounting for 62 % of the variance, indicating a unified executive dysfunction profile. EpiTrack® scores correlated significantly with neuropsychological measures of attention and executive function in both healthy controls (rs = 0.37-0.65) and patients (rs = 0.35-0.72) (ps < 0.05), supporting convergent validity.

The Czech version of EpiTrack® demonstrated sufficient psychometric properties and is suitable for routine screening of executive function and attention in people with epilepsy.