Learning Disorders in Epilepsy

• Published in: Epilepsia (Copenhagen) Vol. 47; no. s2; pp. 14 - 18
• Main Authors: Beghi, Massimiliano, Cornaggia, Cesare Maria, Frigeni, Barbara, Beghi, Ettore
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.11.2006
• Subjects: Adolescent; Brain - physiopathology; Child; Child, Preschool; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Epidemiology; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - diagnosis; Epilepsy - epidemiology; Epilepsy - physiopathology; Humans; Infant; Learning; Learning Disorders - diagnosis; Learning Disorders - epidemiology; Learning Disorders - physiopathology; Prevalence; Prognosis; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Terminology as Topic; United States; United States
• ISSN: 0013-9580; 1528-1167
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2006.00681.x

Learning disorders (LD) are disorders interfering with academic performance or with daily living activities requiring reading, writing, or mathematical abilities in subjects with a normal intelligence quotient. The prevalence of LD in the general population has been found to be 2–10% and reading disorders are the most frequent subtype. Epilepsy is one of the commonest neurological disorders in childhood with an estimated prevalence in 4–5/1,000. Epilepsy is considered to be idiopathic or cryptogenic in approximately two‐thirds of cases. LD are more common in people with epilepsy than in the general population: about 25% of patients with epilepsy are said to have LD. Various psychosocial, medication‐related, and epilepsy‐related factors may be associated with LD in epilepsy. LD can be either permanent or state‐dependent. Permanent LD are caused by a brain lesion and/or a stable brain dysfunction. In contrast, state‐dependent LD are potentially reversible and treatable; they are caused by epilepsy‐related factors. If allowed to persist for a long period, a state‐dependent LD may become permanent.