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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

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Formal thought disorder and psychopathology in pediatric primary generalized and complex partial epilepsy

R Caplan1, S Arbelle, D Guthrie

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, UCLA, USA.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|September 18, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Children with complex partial seizures (CPS) exhibit more illogical thinking than other epilepsy types or nonepileptic children. This thinking is linked to cognitive issues and psychosis in CPS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Epilepsy Research

Background:

  • Formal thought disorder and psychopathology are potential comorbidities in childhood epilepsy.
  • Understanding these comorbidities is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence of formal thought disorder and psychopathology in children with complex partial seizures (CPS).
  • To compare these occurrences with children experiencing primary generalized epilepsy with absences (PGE) and nonepileptic children.

Main Methods:

  • Formal thought disorder was assessed in 30 children with CPS, 24 with PGE, and 61 controls.
  • Psychiatric diagnoses were obtained using structured interviews for epileptic participants.

Main Results:

  • Children with CPS demonstrated significantly greater illogical thinking compared to PGE and control groups.
  • Illogical thinking severity in CPS was associated with global cognitive dysfunction and schizophrenia-like psychosis.
  • Psychiatric diagnoses were prevalent in 63% of CPS and 54% of PGE patients, especially those with cognitive deficits.

Conclusions:

  • Illogical thinking may be a characteristic of pediatric CPS, linked to cognitive dysfunction or psychosis.
  • Psychopathology in pediatric CPS and PGE appears associated with global cognitive dysfunction.
Abstract

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