Evaluating executive functions in children and adolescents with epilepsy using the EpiTRACK tool: A 5-year...

Executive functions (EF) play a crucial role in the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children and adolescents, and they can be significantly impaired in those with epilepsy. Despite their clinical relevance, few longitudinal studies have examined the progression of EF from the onset of the disorder. The present study aimed to investigate the trajectory of EF over a 5-year period in a cohort of 44 paediatric patients with new-onset epilepsy, and to explore the influence of factors such as age, gender, age at seizure onset, clinical status, epilepsy syndrome type and epileptic focus. A longitudinal design was employed, with repeated assessments using the EpiTrack and EpiTrack Junior as the primary tools to assess executive performance over time. Results revealed a significant longitudinal improvement in EF, particularly among older adolescents. However, girls obtained lower scores. These findings suggest that neurocognitive maturation and ex-related differences influence the development of EF. Overall, the results provide relevant valuable empirical evidence for designing early intervention programs and highlight the need for individualized, long-term neuropsychological follow-up in this population.