Summary
A total of 37 children, aged between 12 and 18 years and resident in an epileptic colony, were assessed in several ways for the frequency of their epileptic discharging activity and for the extent of underlying brain pathology. In addition, the children were evaluated for their level of performance on various tests of cognitive and visuo-motor functions. The influence on test performance of the discharging activity and of the extent of pathology was then compared, taking other factors such as age at onset of the seizures, duration of the epileptic illness and level of medication into account as far as possible. Only two factors, namely certain indices of dis charging activity and level of medication, were found to have significantly influenced particular aspects of cognitive performance; it was impossible to document an influence of brain pathology statistically.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baumert I (1973) Untersuchung zur diagnostischen Valenz des HAWIK und die Entwicklung einer Kurzform (WIPKI). Verlag H. Huber, Bern Stuttgart Wien
Blakemore CB, Ettlinger G, Falconer MA (1966) Cognitive abilities in relation to frequency of seizures and neuropathology of the temporal lobes in man. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 29:268–272
Brickenkamp R (1981) Test d2, Aufmerksamkeits-Belastungs-Test, Handanweisung. Verlag für Psychologie, Dr. C. J. Hogrefe, Göttingen Toronto Zürich
Chaudhry MR, Pond DA (1961) Mental deterioration in epileptic children. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 24:213–219
Collins AL (1951) Epileptic intelligence. J Consult Psychol 15:392–399
Diehl JM (1979) Varianzanalyse. Fachbuchhandlung für Psychologie, Frankfurt a. M.
Dodrill CB (1975a) Diphenylhydantoin serum levels, toxicity, and neuropsychological performance in patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia 16:593–600
Dodrill CB (1975b) Effects of sulthiame upon intellectual, neuropsychological and social functioning abilities among adult epileptics: comparison with diphenylhydantoin. Epilepsia 16:617–625
Dodrill CB, Troupin AS (1977) Psychotropic effects of carbamazepine in epilepsy: a double-blind comparison with phenytoin. Neurology 11:1023–1028
Freudenberg D (1968) Leistungs- und Verhaltensstörungen bei kindlichen Epilepsien. S. Karger, Basel New York
Hunger J, Kleim J (1983) Testpsychologische Leistungsprüfungen bei Epileptikern. Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr 233:307–325
Kaushik A, Sehgal H (1982) A study of intellectual performance of epileptic children. Indian Pediatr 19:155–160
Klove H, Matthews CG (1974) Neuropsychological studies of patients with epilepsy. In: Reitan RM, Davison LA (eds) Clinical neuropsychology: Current status and applications. V. H. Winston & Sons, Washington, pp 237–265
Lavadas E, Umilta C, Provinciali L (1979) Hemisphere-dependent cognitive performances in epileptic patients. Epilepsia 20:493–502
Lempp R (1970) Die Schulleistungsfähigkeit epileptischer Kinder und ihre körperlichen und soziologischen Bedingungen. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 95:629–633
Lennox WG (1960) Epilepsy and related disorders, Vol 1 and 2. J. & A. Churchill, London
Loiseau P, Strube E, Broustet D, Battellochi S, Gomeni C, Morselli PL (1983) Learning impairment in epileptic patients. Epilepsia 24:183–192
Niemann H (1983) Kognitive Funktionen bei anfallskranken Kindern und Jugendlichen in Abhängigkeit vorn Anfallsgeschehen und dem Ausmaß der Hirnsubstanzminderung. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Universität Bielefeld
Nobis G (1982) Erfassung von Nebenwirkungen einiger Antiepileptika auf der Verhaltensebene. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Universität Bielefeld
Reisner T, Zeiler K, Strobl G (1980) Quantitative Erfassung der Seitenventrikelbreite im CT — Vergleichswerte einer Normal-population. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatry 48:168–174
Schlange H, Stein B, v, Boetticher I, Taneli S (1977) Göttinger Formreproduktions-Test (G-F-T), Handanweisung. Verlag für Psychologie, Dr. C. J. Hogrefe, Göttingen Toronto Zürich
Schmidt D (1981) Behandlung der Epilepsien. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart New York
Sohns G (1980) Empirische Untersuchung zur visuellen Wahrnehmungsleistung von behinderten, hirngeschädigten, anfallskranken Kindern und Jugendlichen. Unveröffentliche Dissertation, Universität Bielefeld
Thomspon PJ, Trimble MR (1982) Anticonvulsant drugs and cognitive functions. Epilepsia 23:531–544
Thompson PJ, Trimble MR (1983) Anticonvulsant serum levels: relationship to impairments of cognitive functioning. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 46:227–233
Wilkus RJ, Dodrill CB (1976) Neuropsychological correlates of the electroencephalogram in epileptics: Topographic distribution and average rate of epileptiform activity. Epilepsia 17:89–100
Wolf GK (1970) Intelligenzminderung bei epileptischen Kindern. Nervenarzt 41:193–196
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Niemann, H., Boenick, H.E., Schmidt, R.C. et al. Cognitive development in epilepsy. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 234, 399–403 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386058
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386058