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Components of attention in children with complex partial seizures with and without ADHD
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas, Austin 78413, USA.
Insights
Children with epilepsy, with or without ADHD, experience significant attention problems. Methylphenidate improved attention in children with ADHD and those with complex partial seizures and ADHD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Attention deficits are common in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Complex Partial Seizures (CPS) can also impact cognitive functions, including attention.
- The interplay between CPS and ADHD on attentional performance requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate attentional difficulties in children diagnosed with complex partial seizures (CPS).
- To compare attentional performance between children with CPS/ADHD, CPS without ADHD, ADHD, and typically developing controls.
- To assess the impact of methylphenidate on attention in children with ADHD and CPS/ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A computerized performance test (CPT) was administered to assess sustained attention, response inhibition, and consistency.
- Participants included 12 children with CPS/ADHD, 21 with CPS, 22 with ADHD, and 15 controls.
- The ADHD groups (CPS/ADHD and ADHD) underwent CPT testing after methylphenidate administration.
Main Results:
- Children with CPS/ADHD exhibited the poorest performance on the CPT.
- Attention difficulties were evident in children with epilepsy, irrespective of an ADHD diagnosis.
- Methylphenidate administration led to performance improvements in both ADHD groups.
Conclusions:
- Epilepsy may predispose children to attention problems, potentially hindering learning.
- Methylphenidate demonstrated comparable improvements in attention for children with CPS/ADHD and ADHD without CPS.
- These findings highlight the significant impact of epilepsy on attention and the potential benefits of stimulant medication.
Purpose:
To evaluate attentional difficulties in children with complex partial seizures, we reviewed the records of 12 children with complex partial seizures with attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (CPS/ADHD); 21 children with CPS without ADHD (CPS); 22 children with ADHD; and 15 control children.
Methods:
Each child completed a computerized performance test (CPT), which evaluated sustained attention, inhibition of response, response time, and consistency of response. The ADHD groups also completed the CPT after a dose of methylphenidate.
Results:
The results found poorest performance on the CPT by the CPS/ADHD group. Particular difficulty in attention was found for children with epilepsy regardless of the ADHD diagnosis. When methylphenidate was administered to the ADHD groups, both groups improved in performance on the CPT.
Conclusions:
Epilepsy may predispose children to attention problems that can significantly interfere with learning. Similar improvement for children with CPS/ADHD was found with methylphenidate compared with baseline as for children with ADHD but without CPS.