Influence of medical and neuropsychiatric comorbidities on the course of childhood epilepsy

• Published in: Anales de pediatría (Barcelona, Spain : 2003) Vol. 82; no. 1; pp. e52 - e55
• Main Authors: García Ron, A, Blanco Lago, R, Ballesteros Plaza, L, Herreros Rodríguez, J, de la Morena, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01-01-2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Epilepsy - complications; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - etiology; Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Retrospective Studies; Quality of life: Epilepsy; Epilepsia; Comorbilidad médica; Drug-resistant epilepsy; Medical comorbidity; Comorbilidad psiquiátrica; Epilepsia refractaria; Psychiatric comorbidity; Trastornos del neurodesarrollo; Calidad de vida; Neurodevelopmental disorders
• ISSN: 1695-9531
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2014.02.016

Comorbidity has a significant influence in the management of patients with epilepsy.
A descriptive study of all patients with epilepsy, from a suburban area in the Community of Madrid followed up for at least 1 year. Children under 2 years, those with symptomatic acute febrile seizures were excluded.
Out of a total of 46 patients (54% male, age median 9.1 years), more than half (52.5%) were on monotherapy, 45.7% were "free of seizures", 23.9% had "drug resistant epilepsy", and 30.4% were "undetermined". As regards comorbidities, 28.3% had chronic medical conditions, and 41.3% associated neuropsychiatric disorders. In32.6%, the seizures were of sudden onset, and those with chronic medical and neuropsychiatric comorbidities had a risk of 15 and 8.3 times, respectively, than those patients without comorbidities.
Comorbidities may have an important role in the course of epilepsy.