Impairments, disabilities and handicaps in children and adolescents with epilepsy

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica Vol. 86; no. 3; pp. 254 - 260
• Main Authors: Beckung, E, Uvebrant, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.1997; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age of Onset; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Palsy; Cerebral Palsy - complications; Child; Children; complications; disability; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - complications; Epilepsy - surgery; Female; handicap; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; impairment; Intellectual Disability - complications; Locomotion; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Retardation; motor function; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Nonparametric; Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified; Severity of Illness Index; Statistics; Statistics, Nonparametric; surgery; Övrig annan samhällsvetenskap; Human; Handicap; Motility disorder; Sensitivity disorder; Nervous system diseases; Prevalence; Epilepsy; Central nervous system disease; Adolescent; Neurological disorder; Child; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb08885.x

The patterns of motor and sensory impairments, disabilities and handicap were assessed in 217 children and adolescents with epilepsy. Motor and sensory dysfunctions were found to be common even in children without major additional neurodisorders such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation. Handicap was most severe in the dimensions of physical independence and orientation and increased significantly with duration of epilepsy. It was more severe when the onset of seizures was early and when secondary generalized seizures were present. Handicap was significantly reduced after epilepsy surgery.