OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to define the long-term outcome of absence epilepsy presenting before the age of 3years. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the medical records of 40 children from eight neuropediatric centers in Italy with respect to the personal and family histories of epilepsy or febrile seizures, time of follow-up, cognitive functions, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled in this study. They all fulfilled the criteria for absence epilepsy with 3-Hz spike-wave complexes on the EEG, normal neurological examination, and no other seizures types. Seizure onset occurred between 24.1 and 36.0months. There was a family history of epilepsy in 28%, and of febrile seizures in 13%. Thirty-three patients were treated with valproic acid (VPA), mostly used in monotherapy (26 patients) or in association with ethosuximide. At final follow-up, 33 patients were seizure free and 29 had normal EEGs. Thirty-four patients had a normal intelligence quotient (IQ), whereas 6 had a decreased IQ, mainly associated with poor control of seizures. CONCLUSION: In our series, absence seizures presenting before the age of 3 appeared to have quite a good long-term clinical prognosis; the neuropsychological outcome was comparable to that of childhood epilepsy presenting after 3years of age.
Titolo: | Long term outcome in children affected by absence epilepsy with onset before the age of three years |
Autore/i: | Verrotti A; Olivieri C; Agostinelli S; Coppola G; Parisi P; Grosso S; Spalice A; Zamponi N; FRANZONI, EMILIO; Iannetti P; Chiarelli F; Curatolo P. |
Autore/i Unibo: | |
Anno: | 2011 |
Rivista: | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.12.015 |
Abstract: | OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to define the long-term outcome of absence epilepsy presenting before the age of 3years. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the medical records of 40 children from eight neuropediatric centers in Italy with respect to the personal and family histories of epilepsy or febrile seizures, time of follow-up, cognitive functions, treatment, and outcome. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled in this study. They all fulfilled the criteria for absence epilepsy with 3-Hz spike-wave complexes on the EEG, normal neurological examination, and no other seizures types. Seizure onset occurred between 24.1 and 36.0months. There was a family history of epilepsy in 28%, and of febrile seizures in 13%. Thirty-three patients were treated with valproic acid (VPA), mostly used in monotherapy (26 patients) or in association with ethosuximide. At final follow-up, 33 patients were seizure free and 29 had normal EEGs. Thirty-four patients had a normal intelligence quotient (IQ), whereas 6 had a decreased IQ, mainly associated with poor control of seizures. CONCLUSION: In our series, absence seizures presenting before the age of 3 appeared to have quite a good long-term clinical prognosis; the neuropsychological outcome was comparable to that of childhood epilepsy presenting after 3years of age. |
Data prodotto definitivo in UGOV: | 2013-07-01 17:11:33 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.01 Articolo in rivista |