Clinical and neurophysiological risk factors of learning disabilities in different types of idiopathic focal epilepsy

Academic difficulties are common in epileptic children. Learning disabilities (LDs) are a reduction in the learning capacity of children or the intellectual ability of adults and this is different from mental retardation or dementia.

Fifty-six patients 35 male (62.5%) and 21 females (37.5%). The participants attended the Neurology outpatient Clinic, Sohag University Hospital between December 2016 to May 2017. Children with chronological age between 7 and 16 years, idiopathic focal and normal mental and motor developmental history were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The Revised Quick Neurological Screening Test (QNST-R) was used to assess LDs.

Fifty-six patients with idiopathic focal epilepsy [22 Male (61.1%) and 14 Females (38.9%)]. Learning disabilities were present in 67.9 % of our participants with statistically significant association between LDs in one arm and younger age, earlier age of onset of epilepsy, frequent seizures and seizure semiology particularly of temporal lobe origin, in the other arm. In addition, left epileptic focus on EEG (EEG), prolonged treatment duration with antiepileptic drugs (AED) and polytherapy are significantly correlated to LDs.

Many factors are significantly correlated to the LDs in children with idiopathic focal epilepsy like age of the patient, age of epilepsy onset, seizure semiology, prolonged AED treatment and polytherapy.