Harshitha Shanmuganathan, Radha Kumar, D V Lal, Chaudhary Devanand Gulab, E Gayathri, Kesavaraj Pallavi Raja
{"title":"Assessment of behavioural problems in preschool and school going children with epilepsy.","authors":"Harshitha Shanmuganathan, Radha Kumar, D V Lal, Chaudhary Devanand Gulab, E Gayathri, Kesavaraj Pallavi Raja","doi":"10.3934/Neuroscience.2022015","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Children with epilepsy are at greater risk of developing psychiatric and behavioural disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as affective and aggressive disorders than normal children which may affect the well- being and quality of life of the child.</p><p><strong>Aim and objectives: </strong>This study aims at identifying behavioural problems in children with epilepsy enabling early diagnosis and intervention. The objectives were to assess the presence and type of behavioural problems in children with epilepsy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on children who were diagnosed as epilepsy in two age groups of 1.5-5 years and 6-18 years recruited by non-probability convenience sampling. Data regarding seizure semiology, clinical features and treatment were obtained. Children underwent IQ assessment, electroencephalogram and brain neuroimaging. Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) was administered to parents or primary caregivers after obtaining informed consent. Results were analyzed for presence of behavioural problems using SPSS-23.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the study, out of 50 study subjects, 72% were between 6-18 years. 60% children had generalised seizures, 58% children had epilepsy for <2 years and abnormal EEG was present in 80% children. 6% children had behavioural problems and 4% had borderline presentations. Co-relation of behavioural problems with age was statistically significant with p value 0.027. Behavioural problems identified were aggressiveness and anxiety.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Childhood epilepsy is associated with behavioural problems along with other co-morbidities warranting a search during follow-up visits.</p><p><strong>Take-home message: </strong>Early identification and treatment of behavioural problems in children with epilepsy by periodic assessment during follow up visits, careful selection of combination of drugs and appropriate dose can improve the overall outcome in children taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for epilepsy.</p>","PeriodicalId":7732,"journal":{"name":"AIMS Neuroscience","volume":"9 2","pages":"277-287"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9256526/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"AIMS Neuroscience","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3934/Neuroscience.2022015","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2022/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Children with epilepsy are at greater risk of developing psychiatric and behavioural disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as affective and aggressive disorders than normal children which may affect the well- being and quality of life of the child.
Aim and objectives: This study aims at identifying behavioural problems in children with epilepsy enabling early diagnosis and intervention. The objectives were to assess the presence and type of behavioural problems in children with epilepsy.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on children who were diagnosed as epilepsy in two age groups of 1.5-5 years and 6-18 years recruited by non-probability convenience sampling. Data regarding seizure semiology, clinical features and treatment were obtained. Children underwent IQ assessment, electroencephalogram and brain neuroimaging. Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL) was administered to parents or primary caregivers after obtaining informed consent. Results were analyzed for presence of behavioural problems using SPSS-23.
Results: In the study, out of 50 study subjects, 72% were between 6-18 years. 60% children had generalised seizures, 58% children had epilepsy for <2 years and abnormal EEG was present in 80% children. 6% children had behavioural problems and 4% had borderline presentations. Co-relation of behavioural problems with age was statistically significant with p value 0.027. Behavioural problems identified were aggressiveness and anxiety.
Conclusion: Childhood epilepsy is associated with behavioural problems along with other co-morbidities warranting a search during follow-up visits.
Take-home message: Early identification and treatment of behavioural problems in children with epilepsy by periodic assessment during follow up visits, careful selection of combination of drugs and appropriate dose can improve the overall outcome in children taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for epilepsy.
期刊介绍:
AIMS Neuroscience is an international Open Access journal devoted to publishing peer-reviewed, high quality, original papers from all areas in the field of neuroscience. The primary focus is to provide a forum in which to expedite the speed with which theoretical neuroscience progresses toward generating testable hypotheses. In the presence of current and developing technology that offers unprecedented access to functions of the nervous system at all levels, the journal is designed to serve the role of providing the widest variety of the best theoretical views leading to suggested studies. Single blind peer review is provided for all articles and commentaries.